


Are we really puzzle pieces?

by JenoSamoyed



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Donghyuck is actually my favourite character, High School, M/M, Markhyuck was supposed to be a side ship, Nohyuck besties, Slow Burn, Soulmates, Time Skips, but they have as much space as Nomin so I guess they are a main ship too, for Nomin is REALLY slow burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:47:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 31,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27917707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JenoSamoyed/pseuds/JenoSamoyed
Summary: In a world in which you can feel the physical pain of your soulmate from the day you first meet them until the day you two confess each other the truth, Jeno meets his soulmate at a very young age, while his best friend Donghyuck will have to wait longer. What they will both learn is that love is not always as easy as they would have thought, because soulmates are definitely a weird thing.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee, Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin
Comments: 13
Kudos: 92





	Are we really puzzle pieces?

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I've tried to be as careful as possible, but English is not my first language so I apologize in advance for any possible mistake.  
> Thank you so much for clicking on this story, I hope you will enjoy it! ♡

Jeno was a cute, diligent child. He was very quiet and respectful towards adults, but also very lively and playful with other children. He had a thing for adventures, but he never risked too much. He lived on the second floor of a flat complex, and he spent most of his time with his best friend Donghyuck, who lived on the sixth floor. They were both 8, and they had known each other since kindergarten. One day, Jeno had just come back home after a bike ride with Donghyuck when his mother told him they had new neighbors. He remembered that the other apartment on his floor had been empty for a while but he wasn't really interested in the news, because he didn't even know the previous neighbors.

"I see, mum. I'll try to be more quiet in the early afternoon, so they won't complain." He replied, and he was about to go to his room when his mother added: "I met them this afternoon. They seem very nice, and they have a son of your age. Maybe you can help him to familiarize with the new city."

Jeno nodded. There were so many flat in the complex but Donghyuck was the only boy of his age. He just hoped that the new boy was quiet. His parents went out for grocery shopping, and about ten minutes later someone knocked the door. Jeno knew very well he shouldn't let strangers in, but he saw from the peephole that it was a child, and he assumed it was the new neighbor.

He opened the door, and the other boy smiled widely.

"Hi!" He exclaimed. "Nice to meet you. My name is Na Jaemin, and I live next door."

"Hi." Replied Jeno. "I'm Lee Jeno. Come in."

The boy entered and closed the door.

"Wow!" He exclaimed. "I really like your living room!"

He was holding a box, and when Jeno noticed, he asked: "What is this?"

Jaemin looked at his hands. "Oh, yes! I was about to give it to you but I got distracted. My parents told me the neighbors had a son, so I brought you some candies. I hope we can become friends!"

Jeno took the box. "Thank you very much, I hope it too."

"Nice! I must go now! The house is still a mess and my parents want me to help them. See you soon!"

He opened the door and went back to his new home before Jeno could say anything. ‘He seems a good guy.’ Thought Jeno, opening the box.

Gummy crocodiles. What a coincidence, his favorite type of candies.

The following day, Jeno introduced Jaemin to Donghyuck and, in a couple of weeks, the three of them became inseparable. Jaemin didn't expect to make friends so easily, and Jeno and Donghyuck didn't expect to find someone they liked this much, so they were all so glad to have met.

✿

One evening, almost a month later, Jeno was reading a book in his room when he felt a sudden pain to his left index finger. It was just a second, but he was sure it wasn't just his imagination. Anyway he couldn't understand the cause, so he decided to go to bed and forget about it.

In the morning, his attention was focused on something else: it was the first day of a new school year. After getting dressed he took the elevator to knock on Donghyuck's door and go to school with him, as he usually did.

Then he remembered that Jaemin was attending the same school, and they went to call him too.

When Jaemin opened the door, Jeno noticed a yellow band-aid decorated with small rabbits around his left index, and suddenly remembered the strange accident of the day before.

"Jaemin, what happened to your finger?" Asked while they walking to the school, that was just 5 minutes apart from their house.

Jaemin blushed a bit, he had hoped that his friends wouldn't have paid attention to it.

"Uh... You noticed. Nothing important, yesterday evening I was hungry but my parents were already sleeping, so I tried to cut a slice of bread by myself but... Hey! It's more complicated than it seems!"

"I know it!" Replied Donghyuck. "I tried once."

Jeno kept quiet, thinking how strange that coincidence was. Was it really a coincidence or... Nah, it couldn't be anything else.

✿

Nine days had passed since the strange accident, and Jeno was in the park with his two friends. They went there by bike and now they were resting a bit on the grass. "I bet you can't ride the bike without hands!" Exclaimed Donghyuck out of nowhere, looking at Jaemin.

"Why? You can?" Asked the other, surprised.

"Of course I can." Replied Donghyuck, in a fierce tone.

"Then show me."

Donghyuck rode his bike for a bit without using his hands, then he went back to his friends and bowed. "Applause for the champion, thanks."

"Uuh... If you can, I can too." Replied Jaemin, going to his bike.

"I don't think you should, Jaemin." Said Jeno.

"But why!" Pouted his friend.

"Because you have never tried before. The first time Hyuck tried, he injured himself."

"You didn't have to bring back that story!" Exclaimed Donghyuck, slightly offended. "I fell because I got distracted by a dog, not because I wasn't able to do it! I have a natural talent, don't you know?"

Jeno sighed. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever."

Meanwhile, Jaemin was already on his bike. "Look at me, guys! I can do it!" He exclaimed, before starting to pedal and removing his hands from the handlebars. He managed to go on for almost three meters, then he lost balance and tripped on the asphalt of the road.

"Jaemin!" Exclaimed Donghyuck in worry, running to him. He helped his friend to stand up, then he asked: "Are you okay?"

Jaemin nodded, but he was teary-eyed. Both his knees were scraped and bleeding, and his right arm hurt. They went back to the grass where Jeno was still sitting, looking petrified.

"I should have listened to you Jeno, I'm sorry. I'm really dumb..." Muttered Jaemin, trying to hold back the tears. But Jeno wasn't listening, he seemed lost in his own world.

Jaemin called his mother and she went to pick him up by car, putting his bike in the hood. She asked Jeno and Donghyuck if they wanted a ride to home, but they refused.

Once they were alone, Donghyuck asked: "Jeno what's wrong? Are you mad at me? I'm sorry, I didn't expect him to accept my challenge. I... I just wanted to get praised for my ability. Jeno come on, say something!"

"I felt everything." He replied in a flat tone, staring into the void like he was in a sort of trance.

"What?" Asked his friend, confused.

"The pain on the knees. And on the arm. Just for a moment, but I felt it. And I also felt a pain in my finger when he cut his own trying to cut bread."

"Jen are you telling me...??" Donghyuck couldn't believe to his ears.

"I think Jaemin is my soulmate."

And so everything started to make sense. Until that moment, Donghyuck had been a little jealous of the attentions Jeno and Jaemin gave to each other. They always spent time all together, but sometimes he felt that Jeno and Jaemin were special to each other, since they kept giggling to things without even talking about them and it seemed like they could read each other’s minds. Now that he knew the truth, he felt silly for not being able to understand it before.

"Oh my god, that's crazy! Tell him as soon as we go home!"

But Donghyuck was the only one who looked excited, because Jeno seemed terrified.

"No, I won't. I can't."

"Why??"

"I don't want to ruin our friendship. What if he doesn't want me to be his soulmate? What if he decides to distance himself from me?"

"Oh, come on Jen! He really cherishes you, I've noticed that. And if he is your soulmate then you are his own. He _must_ like you, that's how things work."

"I'm not sure. But even if it was so, it would still ruin our friendship. And for what? I... I don't want a relationship, we are too young for this kind of things! So there is no point in letting him know the truth."

"You don't need to get in a relationship now, but he deserves to know."

Jeno stood up and reached his bike. "I said no. Let's go home."

✿

Jeno's final resolution was to wait until it would have been perfectly normal to have met your soulmate. He knew it was not impossible to met them at a very young age, also younger than him, but it was quite uncommon. He had read somewhere that the majority of people meet them during the highschool years or at the end of middle school, so he decided to wait until he was 14 to let Jaemin know the truth. Donghyuck desperately tried to make him change his mind and reminded him that six years were an eternity, but Jeno could be really stubborn when he wanted. When his friend asked him how he would have kept the secret for so long, he just replied that he would have never injured himself in a serious way. Jeno had the luck to have a high pain tolerance level, so if he would have scratched himself a little or things like that, he wouldn't even have noticed, and so Jaemin.

He stopped doing dangerous things like climbing trees, a thing he had always loved, and really tried his best to avoid any sort of pain.

Time passed and Jeno's plan seemed to proceed very well although his mother had noticed that he had become more quiet, but she just assumed that her son was growing up and becoming a more careful person.

Jeno was now 12, and his life hadn't changed much: of course he had to study a little more, but he still managed to spend his free time with Donghyuck and Jaemin going to the cinema or to the mall, playing videogames, or simply eating together at the McDonald's. He had made some other friends in his classroom, but he still had a preference for the old ones and he dedicated to them the majority of his time. For the other two, the situation was the same.

Donghyuck had stopped asking him to tell Jaemin the truth, and none of them had brought the soulmate topic back again.

That until a day of December, two days after the end of the second semester of their last year of elementary school.

✿

Jeno had took the elevator to reach Donghyuck's floor and, when the doors opened, he saw Jaemin rushing downstairs. Donghyuck was on the threshold of the door and he looked tense.

Jeno asked him were was Jaemin running, but his friend shrugged his shoulders replying that he probably had something to do, and that they would have played videogames without him.

After the end of a match, Donghyuck left his joystick and looked into Jeno's eyes. "Tell Jaemin that you two are soulmates. This Saturday."

"What??" Exclaimed Jeno, widening his eyes.

"Just do it, or you will regret it."

Donghyuck seemed really serious, and Jeno assumed it must have had something to do with Jaemin's rush downstairs.

"But this Saturday we have to watch The Avangers all together! How could I?" He protested, but Haechan told him he wasn't coming. Even if Jeno insisted in asking why, he just said "Jaemin's request" and he refused to explain further.

Saturday came, and at about 5pm Jeno took a deep breath and knocked Jaemin's door.

"Uhm, Jeno, hi..." Said the boy opening the door, and Jeno noticed that he looked a bit nervous even if he was smiling as always.

"So... Hyuck won't come, right? Did you invite someone else?" He asked.

Jaemin shook his head. "No, it's just the two of us. Let's go!"

Jaemin closed the door behind his back and took Jeno's hand with a big smile, making him blush a little. He was aware that Jaemin loved skinship and it was not the first time they went around holding hands, but no matter how many times it had already happened, Jeno could never get totally used to it.

They reached the cinema quite early for the show of 6pm and bought an XL bowl of popcorns to share. Jaemin was so hyped about the movie that he was swinging a bit while they were waiting in queue.

"This gonna be the best movie ever, I'm sure of it!" He exclaimed a few moments before the lights in the hall went off.

The movie started and Jeno was focused on it since he was very curious about it, but then he noticed that sometimes Jaemin would just stare at him instead of looking at the screen.

"You don't like the movie?" He asked him after a while.

"Of course I like it." Replied the boy and he sounded sincere, so Jeno assumed that he was just overthinking. Maybe Jaemin was just trying to check if he was eating more popcorns than him or something like that.

Sencond half of the movie had already started when Jaemin rested his head on Jeno's shoulder, making him freeze for a moment.

"Uhm... Jaemin?" He asked, starting to feel nervous.

"Yeah?" Asked his best friend looking at him with puppy eyes, without lifting is head from the other's shoulder.

"Uhm, nothing." He muttered, not knowing what he wanted to say exactly.

"Am I bothering you? I'm sorry..." Jaemin apologized and lifted his head, adjusting himself on his seat without looking at Jeno.

"No, no, no!" Exclaimed the latter, feeling guilty for making Jaemin sad. "You can rest on my shoulder, it's... It's fine!"

"You two, just shut up!" Yelled a boy sitted in the row behind them and they apologized with embarassment, then Jaemin put his head on Jeno's shoulder again.

When the movie ended and they exited the cinema, Jaemin started being very lively again. "It was amazing, Jen, really amazing! Don't you think so??"

Jeno nodded. "I loved it!"

"But now I'm so hungry! We will eat together before going home, right?"

"If you want, we could go to..."

"McDonald's! I'm really craving for McDonald's!" Exclaimed Jaemin without letting Jeno finish his sentence.

"Okay, then McDonald's."

Jeno was about to give another bite to his Big Mac when he saw Jaemin taking a picture of him.

"W-what are you doing now??" He asked, widening his eyes.

The other boy panicked a bit, he probably wasn't expecting to get caught. "Uhm... Sorry. It's just that... You are really pretty."

Jeno blushed and hid his face with a paper towel. Jaemin was acting weirdly indeed.

When they had finished, Jeno asked if they were going home, but Jaemin suggested to walk a little more.

"Our moms will scold us..." Pointed out Jeno.

"I don't care." Replied Jaemin. "I don't want this day to end, so I'll enjoy it as long as possible."

He took Jeno's hand once again and this time Jeno decided to be bolder than usual, intertwining their fingers. Jaemin didn't say anything about it but he smiled at him softly, and for Jeno that was more than enough.

When they finally went back to their landing, they were about to say goodnight but Jaemin esitated. "Jeno, wait... I need to tell you something but... I just don't know how. It's not easy at all..."

"What is it?" Asked Jeno with curiosity.

"Well, uhm... What I want to say is... Uhm..." He paused for some moments before going on. "Today was perfect. Really. Please, don't forget our beautiful time."

Jeno tilted his head to the side, a bit surprised. "Euhm? Of course I won't."

"So... Hahaha... Goodnight hug?" Asked Jaemin, visibly embarassed.

Jeno hugged him and when he tried to part Jaemin held him a little longer.

Suddenly, Donghyuck's voice resonated into Jeno's head. 'Tell Jaemin that you two are soulmates.' He had promised himself to wait a couple of years more but after that night he was almost certain that Jaemin reciprocated his feelings, so maybe it was really the moment.

When Jaemin let him go, he took a deep breath and tried to say something, but the words just died into his mouth. His head was in full confusion and he couldn't think of a senseful sentence to pronounce but he still needed to do something, so he just acted on impulse and kissed the corner of Jaemin's lips.

Jaemin widened his eyes and tried to mutter something, but Jeno got shy and runned into his house opening the door quickly. He felt like his heart was about to explode. Oh, if only he had been a little braver. If only he had reveled Jaemin they were soulmates. If only he had kissed him on the lips insted than at the corner of them. But it was too much, really too much for a single day. It was just a clumsy start and he promised himself to do better next time.

Of course his mother scolded him because he was late, but his mind was elsewhere with Jaemin. He went to bed with his heart still pounding and with a silly smile on his face, and he was so shaken that it took him hours to finally fall asleep.

✿

The following morning his mother waked him up saying that Donghyuck was there for him, and he realised it was already 11am.

"Jen, how are you??" Asked his friend entering the room, while is mother left them alone.

"Uhm... Good morning." He muttered, yawning and rubbing his eyes. "Can you give me like... two minutes?"

Donghyuck looked at him with surprise and waited there for Jeno to go to the bathroom and wash his face.

When the boy was back, his friend insisted: "How are you??"

"I'm fine Hyuck, I'm just sleepy..." He suddenly remembered about the previous night and blushed a bit. "I... Almost kissed him."

"You what?!" Exclaimed Donghyuck. "Almost? You could at least kiss him for real!"

Jeno blushed even more. "Hyuck!!"

"Anyway... You seems fine. I was expecting to find you crying, to be honest... I thought you would have cried the whole night..."

Jeno was starting to feel confused. "Why?"

Hyuck frowned. "Are you for real? Are you still processing what happened or something?"

"I don't understand... A lot of things happened but why should I cry..." Jeno really had no clue about what his friend was trying to say.

"Won't you miss Jaemin?" He asked.

"Why should I miss him? Is he going somewhere?"

"Oh dear, no! Please, no!" Exclaimed Donghyuck, looking upset. "Please don't tell me he didn't find the courage to tell you..."

"To tell me what? Donghyuck, please. Just talk."

The boy swallowed and took Jeno's hands. "Okay, listen to me, but please try to not freak out. Try to take a deep breath and-"

"Donghyuck!"

"Okay, sorry. Yesterday... It was Jaemin's last day in Seoul."

Jeno's heart skipped a bit. "Eh?? No way! You're lying!"

Hyuck sighed, expecting this kind of reaction. "I wish I was. His family moved... They left the town very early this morning."

"And where did they go then?"

"Jaemin refused to tell me the city. But how is it possible for him to not tell you that? I know it must be difficult but... How could he still hide you the truth after you told him you're his soulmate??"

"I didn't..." Muttered Jeno in a very low voice.

"Sorry?" Asked Donghyuck not being able to hear him.

"Fuck, Hyuck, I didn't!" Exclaimed Jeno while is eyes became teary. Could that be the real reason why Jaemin was acting so weirdly?

He tried to take a deep breath but he still ended up crying.

"If it's some kind of joke I won't let it slide, this time! It's not funny at all!" He shouted, then he rushed out of the room.

Donghyuck followed him and saw him going out to ring the bell of Jaemin's flat.

"Open this stupid door, Jaemin! Please!" Shouted Jeno ringing two times with no response. After ringing three times more, his voice become more feeble and interrupted by hiccups. "Please, please... Jaemin... Open..."

Donghyuck reached him and put and hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry Jen, I'm really sorry..."

Jeno turned to his friend and hugged him, crying even more.

Donghyuck later explained that Jaemin had told him the truth the day Jeno saw him rushing downstairs and that's why he had asked Jeno to tell him they were soulmates.

Jeno got mad at him for hiding something so important, and he got even madder at his mother when she confessed she knew about it because she had seen the moving trucks working during the mornings in which the kids were at school, and that she hadn't told him anything just because Jaemin had begged her. He could no longer trust anyone.

The next thing Jeno did was to grab his mobile phone and try to call Jaemin, but the boy had his phone turned off. So he sent him a lot of SMS asking for an explanation and to be called back as soon as possible, but time passed and he never received any reply.

✿

Two years and half had already passed and Jeno had spent most of his time in his house, playing the guitar as a new hobby to distract himself, reading books and playing video games. He had stopped trying to get in touch with Jaemin so many time ago already, and he had also completely stopped talking about him. Donghyuck could tell that he was still hurt since Jeno's mood kept darkening everytime he felt a random pain from Jaemin, but to never talk about him had become a sort of unwritten rule.

One day Jeno was out with Donghyuck since the boy had become the captain of the middle school soccer team and had asked him to watch the match, and they were going back home after the its end.

"Did you see how good I dribbled the ball when that tall boy..." Was bragging Donghyuck, but Jeno shut him up.

"Sssh, wait. Don't you hear it?"

"Hear what?"

Jeno entered the public park that was next to the street and his friend followed him.

"Jeno, what should I hear?" He insisted.

"A kitty is crying." He replied while still looking for the animal, and they ended up in front of a big tree. They both raised their head and saw a frightened kitty.

"I'll get you off of it, don't worry!" Exclaimed Jeno, starting to climb up the tree.

"Jen, wait!" Exclaimed Donghyuck. "It's been years since you last climbed a tree, I don't think you should do it! Can't we just call the firemen??"

But Jeno didn't listen to him and kept climbing until he reached the little cat, taking it into his arms.

"I got him!" He exclaimed, but the scared kitty fidged making him lose his balance, and they both fell off the tree with a rumble.

"Oh shit Jeno, are you okay??" Asked Donghyuck with concern, going near his friend.

"Ugh, not really... but the kitty is fine. I held him tight." Muttered Jeno, visibily in pain and with the kitty secured between his arms. After Donghyuck helped him to stand up, they realized that his legs and head weren't damaged but he wasn't able to move his left arm.

Donghyuck offered to accompany him to the hospital and tried to make him let go of the cat but Jeno refused, so in the end he had to promise him to bring the animal with them.

"Uhm... Hyuck?" Mumbled Jeno while they were walking.

"Yes?"

"I think Jaemin definitely felt that..."

Donghyuck didn't reply, surprised to hear that name. Right, Jeno had spent so many years trying to not get hurt so that Jaemin wouldn't know he had met his soulmate, but there was no way he hadn't felt that bad fall.

The doctor told them that Jeno's arm was broken and it had to get casted, and Donghyuck waited outside with the cat. In the end, Jeno brought home the animal and even if his parents weren't really happy, they decided he could keep it. After taking it to the veterinary, they find out that it was a female kitty and in a short time Jeno and Bongshik -this is the name he had chosen for the cat- became inseparable.

Moreover, after being forced to make rehabilitation exercises for his arm, he got interested in doing some sport and started to go biking again, an habit he had lost during the very bad depressive period after that Jaemin moved.

✿

No other significant events happened in Jeno's life after that, he graduated from middle school and started high school.

At the beginning of their first year of high school, both Jeno and Donghyuck had become quite popular, gaining attention from their seniors too. Jeno was pretty attractive and a lot of schoolmates had asked him out but he had always refused, so by the end of the year almost everyone had already gave up on him. He had always tried to be polite with them, but people could still feel some coldness in his way to behave.

Donghyuck too received attentions, especially from the director since he kept breaking the school rules, skipping classes and dying his hair of a bright red. He had fallen in love with a boy from the third year who played the drums in the school band and ditched so many of his lessons to go watch him practicing, but the boy had never looked at him. Despite his talent in that sport, he hadn't been accepted into the football team of the school because he was ‘too undisciplined’, so he had changed his plans and decided that he wanted to become a singer. He had posted a song cover on YouTube that had reached more than 1M views in a week, and he had a quite popular Instagram account by the nickname -or ‘future stage name’ as he liked to say- of Haechan.

He received love confessions as well but, to be honest, he never really liked his spoiled schoolmates except for the drums boy, and so he rejected everyone without worrying about being polite. And, during the last day of school, he confessed to that boy but got rejected.

Jeno knew he was hurt, but Donghyuck just scrolled his shoulders and told him: "It was his last year, I'll never see him again so who cares." Yes, once at home he cried for two days and ate an embarrassing amount of ice cream like those broken-hearted characters from teenage movies, but that's a secret.

Due to Jeno's coldness and lack of interest in everyone and Donghyuck's short temper, their popularity in school dropped pretty quickly and they never got close to anyone except for Renjun. Or better, they were still popular and known around the school, but now as ‘the unreachable duo’, and nodoby tried to approach them anymore.

Renjun was a chinese boy who had moved to Korea with his family the year before, but he was already fluent in Korean since he had studied it in the past. He liked to spend time alone and he already had some friends in China so he didn't bother to look for new ones, being resolute to only focus on his studies. He was in the same class as Jeno and Donghyuck but they had never talked to each other until the science teacher decided that Renjun should become Donghyuck's tutor for science. Of course Hyuck didn't want a tutor, but his grades in the subject were so low that he had no choice if he didn't want to repeat the year.

At first the two of them tended to fight a lot, especially because Donghyuck kept spacing out or yawning during Renjun's explications. They even got into a physical fight once, but in the end they got used to each other and found out that the other was not so dislikeable as they had first thought. In fact, they had a lot of common interests and so Renjun started hanging out with Donghyuck and Jeno, slowly getting close to him too.

✿

It was a Sunday afternoon and the three of them were out together when the soulmate topic was brought out.

"Oh... My friend Jun has found his soulmate!" Exclaimed Renjun reading a message from said friend. "He seems so happy, but I wouldn't be."

"What? Why?" Asked Donghyuck.

"I don't believe in soulmates."

"Neither do I." Replied Jeno, almost in a whisper.

"Jeno..." Muttered Hyuck with a bit of concern, but the other boy claimed he was fine.

"The idea of being fated to someone is just... Weird." Stated Renjun. "I want to be free, I want to write my own story. I hope to meet my soulmate as late as possible and, even at that point, I'll try to turn it into a soulmate friendship. I don't like the idea that everyone has of soulmates as lovers... You know, you don't need to love someone just because they are your soulmate. You may love them romantically but you also may not."

"But I loved mine, like a fool." Sighed Jeno.

"You loved who?"

And so they explained to Renjun the whole Jaemin story.

"I'm so sorry Jeno, I didn't know." Replied Renjun. "But maybe things had to go that way. Maybe as I said your soulmate didn't mean your partner for the life. Or maybe your paths will cross again in the future." 

"Maybe." Admitted Jeno, but they agreed to not talk about it anymore.

✿Holidays had come to an end, and the guys would have started they second year of high school in a couple of days.

Jeno and Donghyuck were in Jeno's room and, since Renjun was out of town, Jeno was helping his friend to revise some science topics in order to make him start the new school year better.

"Do you have any questions?" Asked Jeno.

"Yes, can I check my phone?" Asked Donghyuck with an apologetic smile.

"Hyuck!"

"Please, just a minute."

Jeno sighed. Donghyuck's phone kept blowing up from Instagram notifs and it was distracting both.

"Oh my God... Oh. My. God!" Exclamaid the boy that seemed to be so loved by his followers. "Jeno... You can't imagine who has just started following me."

The other boy sighed again. "I'm gonna make an Instagram account too so I can write you to focus on the book and maybe you will listen to me then."

"Jeno, I'm being serious!" Donghyuck scolded him. "Don't panic but... It's Jaemin."

But Jeno, indeed, panicked. He widened his eyes in both shock and confusion, his heart beating too fast. "N-no way... It can't be him." He was almost certain that Jaemin had completely forgotten about him and Hyuck. After all, five years had already passed since they had last heard anything from him.

"I swear it's him! Look!" Shouted Donghyuck showing his phone to Jeno.

The name of the account owner was in fact Na Jaemin, and the boy in the small profile picture looked pretty familiar.

Jeno gave a look to some of the boy's pictures and his hands started shaking a bit. Jaemin had always been a pretty boy, but now he was definitely stunning.

"Hey!" Exclaimed Donghyuck, since Jeno had been staring at the phone screen for more than a minute without saying anything. "I'm curious too! Let me see his pics too!"

He took his phone from his friend's hands and scrolled Jaemin's pictures. "Oh, God!" He exclaimed right after. "Not gonna lie, he is hot now!"

Jeno, who had been silent until that moment, lifted his head and spared a death glance at his friend. "I'm sorry, he is what?" He hissed slowly, in a cold tone.

Donghyuck left his phone on the desk and put his hands over his head, rolling his eyes.

"Calm down mister Lee, please don't shoot me. I was just making a statement, you know I could never steal your soulmate. He is yours."

"No, he is not. I think he doesn't even remember my existence or yours, and he probably just followed you without recognizing you. After all, your hair is red now and your Instagram name is Haechan, not Donghyuck... Maybe he just saw your cover and liked your voice... Anyway, whatever are his reasons I don't care about him anymore." Replied Jeno looking away, his voice showing some sadness.

Donghyuck, who was now looking at his phone again, was about to reply that the jealousy he had displayed a minute before stated the opposite, but another notification make him panic as well.

"Oh shit, oh shit, Jen!! He sent a DM!! What do I do??"

Jeno had to gather all his strenght to try to look calm and elaborate the question: "What does it say?"

"Uhm... It says: 'Hello Donghyuck, do you remember me?'" Read Hyuck from the message preview, without clicking on it.

So it was not an accident. Jaemin remembered them.

"Please don't... Don't reply to him." Asked Jeno, trying his best to avoid starting crying.

"What? Why??"

"Please, just don't. There is no point in having a conversation with him."

"But don't you want to know if..."

"No. I don't want to know anything about him. He abandoned us and never replied to us again... What does he want now?"

"Right..." Sighed Donghyuck. For how much he was curious to text Jaemin back, he could imagine how Jeno must have been feeling in that moment and he understood he was not ready to know about Jaemin's life. "Enough internet for today. And enough science. Let's go eating something, okay?" He proposed, but Jeno refused and Donghyuck decided to go back to his home leaving him alone with his thoughts, hoping it would have helped him to make up his mind and relax a bit.

He was just going upstairs when he saw Jaemin had liked the picture he had recently posted of Jeno and him wearing In-N-Out Burger hats. "Na Jaemin..." He sighed, rolling his eyes. "You're really not stealthy."

✿

The first day of second year finally arrived, and Jeno's mother was making coffee when the boy entered the kitchen to have breakfast.

"Good morning, mom."

"Oh, Jeno... Good morning. I just remembered that yesterday I wanted to tell you something, but I got distracted by your father and I didn't."

"What is it?" He asked, while is mother gave him a cup of coffee.

"You will never guess who I met yesterday at the supermarket!" She said happily.

"Uhm... Tell me." Replied Jeno patting Bongshik, who was cuddling against his legs and hoping for some food from the boy's breakfast on the table.

"I met mister and miss Na, our old neighborhs!" Exclaimed the woman with a big smile.

Jeno froze. After a few moments of total black out, he blinked a couple of times and asked: "I'm sorry, who?"

His mother looked a bit surprised. "Don't you remember them? They used to live here some years ago and you were so close to their son, Jaemin. You two were insep-"

"Yeah. I know." Cut her short Jeno in a cold tone. "I remember."

"They told me they just moved back to Seoul, isn't it great? Jaemin will start the school year here and who knows, maybe you two will be classmates again!" Continued the woman, looking really enthusiastic.

Jeno's hands started shaking at the news and Bongshik meowed at him with concern, but he just took a deep breath and stood up.

"I'm not hungry anymore. I don't feel well, sorry." He said, going back to his room.

The smile fell off his mother's face. “How strange...” She muttered. He had cried so much when Jaemin left that I was really sure he would have been extremely happy to know that he is back..."

Twenty minutes later, Donghyuck was trying to drag Jeno out of his room. He had asked his mother to not let his friend in, but she still did.

In the end, they both left Jeno's house but Jeno simply sat on the builiding staircase. "I'm not going to school."

"Oh yes that you're going, dumbass!" Exclaimed Donghyuck, trying his best to lift him but without any results. "I almost failed the first year because I skipped too many classes, remember? But this year I promised my mom that everything will be different, or she won't let me attend the musical college. So stand up, we are not going to ditch classes on the first day."

"Maybe you won't, but I will." Replied Jeno stubbornly, and he told his friend about Jaemin.

"Oh God, that's why he wrote to me all of sudden?? He is back??" Replied Donghyuck, but about the possibility of being classmates he just said: "There are two high schools in this department and they are both really big. This isn't a cliché movie Jeno, he won't be in the same class as you."

Somehow, he really convinced Jeno to go to school and the boy found out with his biggest relief that, indeed, Jaemin was not one of his classmates. Maybe he was not even in the same school.

✿

It was now lunch time and Jeno was going to the cafeteria with Renjun and Donghyuck. This time he didn't end up being their classmate, but they had promised each other to eat together everyday. The two guys were pretending to bicker as always and Renjun accelerated his pace claiming he was going to eat alone when someone who was turning the hallway corner bumped into him, resulting in making both fall.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Exclaimed the guy. "I wasn't looking..."

"Yeah, I noticed." Replied Renjun, slightly pissed off. But then he added: "But it's fine, I wasn't looking either..."

"Fuck! Jeno!" Whispered Donghyuck in an alarmed tone, pulling Jeno's sleeve. The boy gave him an interrogative look, but his friend was now focused on the guy on the floor.

"I'm sorry." Repeated that guy looking very embarrassed, then he stood up and helped Renjun to do the same. "I was focused on the phone, I was looking for a map of the school..."

"A map of the school?" Asked Renjun. "Why?"

"Uhm, well, it's my first day here and I was trying to reach the cafeteria but I think I got lost..."

"Indeed." Sighed the Chinese boy. "You were walking in the opposite direction... Come with us, we are heading there too."

"No! Don't!" Shouted Donghyuck, and everyone looked at him. "U-uhm... I mean..." He muttered right after, not knowing what to say.

"Don't mind him, his brain doesn't work." Shrugged it off Renjun. "Let's go."

The four of them reached the cafeteria and the new student thanked them, then Donghyuck exclaimed: "Yeah, yeah, you're very welcome, now go find a table on the other side of the room, goodbye." So he pushed away the poor boy, who was feeling really confused.

"Damn Hyuck, he did nothing wrong!" Renjun called him out. "There is no reason to be so rude."

"Actually, I have _all_ the reasons to be rude!" Exclaimed Hyuck looking really nervous, then he went to take his tray with the food. The other two did the same and they all sat at a table near the window.

"Oh, what did you want to tell me when you pulled my shirt?" Asked Jeno to Donghyuck.

The boy looked around to be sure nodoby was listening to him. "That boy... I felt his pain when he fell on the floor."

"Whaaat?" Asked Renjun, laughing.

"Hyuck is he your soulm-" Jeno couldn't finish the sentence because Donghyuck put a meatball into his mouth.

"Sssh!! Are you trying to ruin me??"

"But what's wrong with him?" Asked Renjun.

"Ouch!" Exclaimed Hyuck, touching his hip and turning around to see that boy apologizing to someone for bumping into their chair. "First of all, this. He is clumsy and I hate pain. And have you seen his face? He has 'loser' written on it, and he really looks like a mama's boy. I refuse to be his soulmate, I deserve so much better!"

"Aren't you a mama's boy too?" Asked Renjun with a grin.

"No I'm not, shut the fuck up!" Replied Donghyuck.

"Uhm, sorry guys..." They turned towards the voice to see the new boy standing next to their table. Said boy laughed, looking a bit uncomfortable. "Hahaha... Can I... Sit with you? You know, I tried to sit next to my classmates but the tables were all full and you are three in a table for four, so..."

"No, you can't. That place is taken by my imaginary friend, find another table." Replied Hyuck looking deadly serious, and the boy looked at him in confusion, without knowing what to say.

"Of course you can sit with us." Replied Renjun, patting the place next to him.

"Thank you, really!" Exclaimed the boy, sitting next to Renjun and in front of Jeno. "Let me introduce myself. I'm Mark Lee, and I'm from Canada. I was supposed to finish my study there but my parents had to move to Korea for their job so I'll do my last year here. Are you guys from third year too?"

"Second." Replied Renjun. "Nice to meet you, I'm Renjun and I'm a foreign too. I'm from China."

"I'm Jeno, nice to meet you." Said Jeno with a friendly smile, one of those that had become so rare to see on his face. For some reasons, he found that boy trustworthy. "And he is Donghyuck." He added, seeing that his friend had his arms crossed and no intention to talk.

"No, I'm Haechan." Corrected Donghyuck.

"I'm a bit confused, I think." Said Mark with an embarassed smile.

"Donghyuck is his birth name." Explained Renjun. "But for some reasons he goes by this nickname."

"That's not a nickname, that's a stage name!" Shouted Donghyuck. "That's totally different."

"Stage name? Are you an artist?" Asked Mark with curiosity.

"Yes, a singer. Actually, not yet. I posted a cover on YouTube and people loved my voice. I would post more but mister Jeno is always too busy to play the guitar for me."

"Oh, I can play the guitar! I can help you!" Exclaimed Mark.

"No, you can't. I'm sure you're not good enough." Replied Donghyuck.

"I am!" Protested the other. "I used to play the guitar in the church choir!"

Hyuck started faking a desperate cry. "The church choir, Jeno, the church choir!" He whined, shaking his friend's arm.

"Uhm, yes, the church choir." Repeated Mark. "There is something wrong with it?"

"Yes!" Yelled Donghyuck. "Going to the church is stupid."

"Actually, what is really stupid is to make fun of someone else's beliefs." Replied Mark, calmly.

Renjun bursted out laughing. "Oh, God! 1-0 for the new boy. I like you... Mark, right? Whoever can shut Hyuck up deserves to be my friend."

Being in front of him, Donghyuck kicked Renjun under the table, but he also pinched his own inner thigh.

"Hey! Something pinched me!" Exclaimed Mark. Jeno and Renjun both pointed at Haechan, but the boy lifted his hands. "I'm too far from him, how could I!"

And Mark agreed, it was impossible.

For the next few days Mark sat with them too but Donghyuck still refused to talk to him unless he was forced to. To be honest, Mark didn't seem that bad, but he was still too far from his ideal type.

✿

It was a Thursday afternoon when Jeno, Renjun and Donghyuck met after classes to go home together since they had no extra activies. They were chatting while crossing the school hallway when they saw a bunch of girls staring at the window and looking very excited.

"What's happening?" Wondered Donghyuck.

"Who cares." Replied Renjun scrolling his shoulders.

"You're no fun." Donghyuck rolled his eyes and went to the window, tiptoeing to look over the girls to find out what were they watching.

"Ah, it's just the football team's training." He discovered with disappointment. "I should be the captain of the team and I'm not even part of it..."

"You know it's your fault. Maybe if you weren't such a troublemaker..." Pointed out Renjun.

"I'm not a troublemaker!" Exclaimed the other and he was about to turn to Renjun and fight him when he heard a noise and leaned his eyes on one of the football players who had just tripped in a pretty bad way.

"Oh, shit..." He muttered, but his friends didn't hear him, Renjun now looking at Jeno who had just frowned touching his own knees.

"Oh, no! He tripped on the floor!" Exclaimed one of the girls, all of them looking worried.

"Who tripped on th-" Tried to ask Renjun, but Donghyuck pushed both him and Jeno away. "No one! Just some dumb boy, probably from first year. Didn't you say that you don't care? Let's go."

Once they exited the school building, Haechan took his phone out of his pocket and looked at it. "Oh, no! The Canadian boy just sent me a message asking me to meet at the third floor." He exclaimed with an annoyed air. "You know I can't stand him, but it seems to be important."

"I thought Mark didn't have your number..." Stated Jeno with a bit of perplexity.

"Well, yes, he asked for it today during lunch but maybe you weren't listening, Jen. I think you were talking with Renjun so I guess he didn't hear either. Anyway I told him to contact me only for real emergencies, so it's better if I go to check right now. Sorry guys, see you tomorrow."

"We can come with you, it's not a prob-" Tried to say Jeno, but Donghyuck insisted it was not the case.

"Let's go home without him." Sighed Renjun. "People say friends come first but they suddenly change their mind when they meet their soulmate. Anyway, they have been fast. Only a few days ago he seemed disgusted by Mark... I wanted them to struggle a little more, it was funny to watch."

Of course, Mark's call was a bullshit. What Donghyuck really did when his friends left the school courtyard was to reach the football pitch and wait on the bleachers.

When the training ended, the boy who he had seen tripping smiled and bowed to a couple of girls sitted on the opposite bleachers who were staring at him.

Donghyuck stood up and clapped slowly, with disappointment. "Very nice show, Jaemin."

The boy turned to his direction to find the source of the pretty unfamiliar voice, since of course it was not the same of when they were children. After a few moments of confusion, he blinked more than once and exclaimed: "Oh my God! Donghyuck??"

"In the flesh."

"It's been a while, isn't it?" Asked Jaemin with a big smile.

"If you call 5 years 'a while' then sure..." Replied the other, coldly.

Jaemin gulped. Donghyuck didn't look very happy to see him again but maybe it was just an impression, so he tried to smile again. "Yes, you're right. We haven't seen each other for a lot of time! Come get a hug!" He exclaimed, spreading his arms.

"I'd rather not."

The two girls from the opposite bleachers were now next to Jaemin and they were listening to the conversion and whispering comments about it. Noticing it, Donghyuck looked at them. "Hello?? There is nothing to see here. Do you mind going away? Thank you."

The girls widened their eyes and went away, one of them apologizing and the other complaining about it.

The other football players were leaving the pitch as well, so in the end there were Donghyuck and Jaemin.

"So..." Started the latter. "I really wanted to see you again. I have tried to contact you on Instagram, but maybe you didn't notice it..."

"Or maybe I ignored you."

Donghyuck was being harsher than expected.

"Are you... Mad at me?" Asked Jaemin.

"What do you think?"

"But... You knew I was moving out of town! I told you."

Hyuck was excited to know that his old friend was back in town, but now he kinda wanted to slap him. That boy couldn't be so stupid to not understand his mistakes.

"Yeah, you only forgot to tell me that you were about to ditch me forever ignoring all my attempts to reach you. And yes you told _me_ , but you also forgot to tell _Jeno_."

Jaemin's heart skipped a beat. "I'm sorry..." He muttered. "I'm really sorry, to both you and Jeno. It was not my intention Donghyuck, trust me... I really wanted to tell Jeno and I tried to, but it was not easy."

His old friend scoffed at his reply. "It was not easy? It's all you have to say? Life is never easy, Jaemin. This is not an excuse and you fucked up big time."

"I know... I know. Please, help me to meet him. I really want to apologize to him too and I don't know how to reach him."

"Mmh... You ditched me, betrayed my best friend, disappeared for five years and now you are asking for my help? Oh, dear. And they say I'm the cheecky one!"

Jaemin didn't reply. He knew the other was right, but he had missed his old friends so much that he had really hoped to come back and start hanging out with them again like nothing happened.

"I'll help you." Said Donghyuck after a while. "But I won't do it for you, it's for Jeno. You don't know how hurt he still is, and he deserves to put an end to this story."

"He is... Still hurt? Until today?" Asked Jaemin, not knowing how to feel about it. A small part of him was happy because it meant that Jeno still cared for him, but the biggest part was feeling like shit for what he had done to him. He used to clear his own conscience thinking that Jeno was fine and that he had forgotten him long time ago, but now he knew it was not true.

"Yes, until today. He is not the person you used to know, he is so quiet and gloomy and he still has trust issues. You changed him."

"No way!" Exclaimed Jaemin, about to burst in tears. "Please if this is a joke I can assure you it's not funny!"

"Are you dumb??" Asked Donghyuck. "Why should I joke about something like that? Anyway... There is another thing I've always wanted to tell you."

"What is it?"

"Fuck you for making me watch The Avengers with my mother."

"What??" Yelled Jaemin. "I thought it was something else serious..."

"It is. She kept asking stupid questions out loud and the whole cinema hated me. Worst experience of my life."

"But I asked you to go alone with Jeno and you agreed... I didn't force you..." He pouted.

"I know. I accepted because _I_ , and I repeat, _I_ am a good friend, Jaemin. I did it so you could talk to Jeno but you didn't, so my sacrifice went wasted. Apologize for this too."

Donghyuck looked deadly serious, so Jaemin had to apologize and the other guy seemed quite satisfied.

"Nice, but that's not enough. Since we need to discuss a way to make you talk with Jeno, today we will have dinner together in a very fancy restaurant. Your treat."

"Uhm... My treat?"

"Of course. It's called compensation for damages. If you pay me this dinner and you promise me to make up things with Jeno we will be friends again like the old times and I won't hold you any grudge. Are you in?"

Jaemin nodded, the biggest smile making its way to his face. He would have needed to borrow some money from his parents to afford a fancy restaurant, but he would have done anything to have his friend back. "Yes! Yes, I'm in! Thank you Donghyuck, really!"

"See you in a few hours then. I'll send you a DM with the place and time. Goodbye!" Donghyuck turned around and started walking towards the school gate.

"A DM... Ah, wait! Do you mind following me back??" Shouted Jaemin in order to be heard.

"Sorry but I'm an almost celebrity and I need to keep my skinny ratio!" Exclaimed the other without stopping.

✿

The following morning Donghyuck and Jeno were going to school and they met halfway with Renjun as usual. When they reached the school gate, Donghyuck spotted Mark standing next to it looking at his phone and rushed towards him. "Sorry guys, go ahead without me!" He exclaimed, leaving his two friends looking at each other in confusion.

"Mark Lee!" He put an harm around the boy's neck from behind, startling him.

"W-what's happening??" Asked the other, heart beating fast because of the fright.

"Just smile and come with me out of Jeno and Renjun's sight. I'll tell you everything later..." Whispered Donghyuck starting walking with him and ignoring Mark's try to explain him that he was waiting for a classmate.

As they were out of sight, Hyuck said: "Okay so, long story short: yesterday I told them I was with you when I wasn't and I also told them that we exchanged phone numbers so please just play along with it if they ask it during lunch time."

"What??" Asked Mark. "Why?"

Donghyuck explained him about Jaemin, so he commented: "Oh, that's a sad story... I really hope they will fix everything. But still... Why did you tell them you were with me and not with someone else?"

"I don't know! You were just the first one who came to my mind, I guess."

Mark thought for some moments, then he quietly stated: "I didn't expect to be the first one you would think of."

"Wait, it's not like... Aah, I just don't have many friends, you know!" Shouted the boy, starting to feel nervous for some reasons.

"Yes, I understand." Nodded the other. "But I thought you didn't count me as a friend since you never want to talk to me."

"I-" Tried to explain Donghyuck, then he sighed. "See? You get on my nerves, that's why I don't want to talk to you! You focus on the irrelevant parts. See you at lunch, I guess..."

"Donghyuck, wait."

"Haechan!" The other corrected him. "Keep the distance, for you I'm just Haechan!"

And so he left, leaving Mark asking himself what had he done to upset him like that.

✿

That afternoon, it was 6pm when Donghyuck knocked Jeno's door and convinced him to go eating something in a café.

They had just placed their orders when Hyuck claimed he had to go to the bathroom, leaving Jeno alone scrolling through his phone.

"Can I sit here?" Asked a voice.

"No, sorry but there is my friend who went to the-" Lifting his head from his phone, Jeno couldn't finish the sentence. His heart started pounding as he looked at the person in front of him.

"Hello, Jeno." Said Jaemin smiling softly, sitting in front of him despite what Jeno had just told him. "You've grown up a lot."

The other boy stared at him with his eyes widened without saying a word.

"Uhm, so... I'm back in town..." Tried again Jaemin, doing is best to keep smiling even if he was feeling very anxious.

"Yes, I… I see it." Replied Jeno.

"Uhm, well, so... I hope you're doing fine." Jaemin made a pause and took a deep breath. He didn't know how to start apologizing and he wasn't expecting to feel that nervous looking at his old friend. In the end, he said: "Jen... I missed you."

The other boy gulped, and his hands were visibily shaking. He stood up and muttered: "I… I'm going home. Wait for Donghyuck, you can talk to him. Goodbye."

"Jeno, wait... I'm sorry..." He murmured.

Donghyuck, who had been watching the scene from afar, tried to get into Jeno's way to the door and stop him.

"Hey hey hey, Jeno! Where are you going?"

"Home... I'm sorry Hyuck, I don't feel well."

"You should go back and talk to Jaemin."

"Did you know he was here??"

"I'm sorry..."

"Fuck."

Donghyuck looked at him and saw his eyes were teary, so he decided to move and let him get out of the café. Then he sighed and went back to the table, sitting in front of Jaemin.

"It didn't have to go this way!" He exclaimed, then he noticed that their orders had been placed on the table. "Who is gonna eat Jeno's cake? He always picks dark chocolate but I hate it."

"Uhm, that's my favourite so..." Replied Jaemin, who was feeling the need to eat something sweet to cope from what had just happened.

"Oh, God. You two are just the same. Anyway we need a plan B…"

After a short while in which they just ate, Jaemin said: "Hyuck... Can I ask you something about Jeno?"

"Sure."

"He hasn't found his soulmate yet, right?"

Donghyuck almost chocked for the surprise. "W-what??"

"Uuhm... I was just wondering... I know I hurt him a lot and this is selfish, but..." Jaemin paused, blushing heavily.

"You have feelings for him."

"Oh... Is it so obvious? I'd like to have a chance with him... At least until he meets his soulmate... You think it's stupid? I mean, he hates me... I think everything I do it's stupid."

Donghyuck patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, since I'm an angel I'll be your Cupid."

Of course, Hyuck had to talk to Jeno as soon as he came back home. He explained that he had the best intentions and that he had tricked him only because he knew he wouldn't have voluntarily met Jaemin. Even if Jeno was disappointed, in the end he had to recognize that Donghyuck was in good faith. After all, he couldn't have avoided Jaemin forever and, as Hyuck told him, the two of them still needed to talk once for all. Donghyuck also said that he wanted Jaemin back in their group and that it would have helped Jeno to stop feeling so uncomfortable around him again, and Jeno's only request was to not be left alone with him since he was not yet ready.

✿

The following day Jeno didn't attend classes since he was feeling tired and still a bit overwhelmed but, from the day after that, he and his group moved to a bigger table so that Jaemin could sit with them at lunch. They even created a group chat on KakaoTalk for all five of them, even if most of the messages were just Donghyuck and Renjun bickering for fun.

But to be honest things weren't going very well, since Jeno was always silent and constantly spacing out instead of talking with the others and Jaemin, after some failed attempts of conversation with him, had decided to just focus on socializing with the others. It took him a while to get closer to Renjun since the boy knew what he had done to Jeno and was quite suspicious towards him, but he became friend with Mark quite easily. So easily that Donghyuck was starting to feel a little bit upset. Jaemin was still unaware of being Jeno's soulmate and he didn't even know that Mark was Hyuck's: he didn't trust him enough to tell him since he didn't look very good at keeping secrets.

"You really used to dye your hair of pink?? That's crazy, man!" Exclaimed Mark in a laugh.

"Yes!" Confirmed Jaemin. "Pastel pink. Everyone said it suited me a lot, maybe I should go pink again."

"Hello?" Interrupted Donghyuck. "I'm right here with bright red hair. And it's not even allowed in this school. _This_ is crazy."

The two guys looked at him.

"Your hair is cool too, Hyuck." Commented Jaemin.

"Did you hear him, Mark? He thinks my hair is cool. Because he has taste." Bragged Donghyuck.

"What? I've never said that it isn't!" Protested Mark.

"But you never said it is either."

"Well, if it makes you happy... I think your hair is cool."

"Tsk!" Scoffed Hyuck. "As if I would care about your opinion."

"Then why did you... Ouch!" Once again, Mark was interrupted by his soulmate pinching himself to upset him.

Renjun, who was until now sharing a story about China with Jeno, turned to Mark and Donghyuck and sighed. "You two are just impossible."

✿

But a week had already passed and things between Jeno and Jaemin weren't getting better, that's why one afternoon Hyuck called Mark and Renjun for an emergency meeting.

"Okay, guys." He began as soon as they found a free park bench to sit and eat the fresh baked hoppang Hyuck had just bought. "I called you because we need a plan to get Nomin together. It's clear that those two dummies won't go anywhere without our help."

"Uhm... Nomin?" Asked Mark.

"Of course. Jeno and Jaemin ship name."

"Isn't it a bit weird to have a ship name...?"

"No, it's something really popular nowadays. It's your fault if you don't know it. Anyway, stay focused Mark!"

"So we are here to find a plan to get Jeno and Jaemin together?" Asked Renjun, biting his steamed bun.

"Exactly." Confirmed Donghyuck.

"Well, my plan is: leave them alone and let them take their time. They don't need to be pushed by you."

"Yes, they do! I'm tired of that weird tension during lunch time, they ruin the atmosphere."

"Haechan isn't wrong..." pointed out Mark.

"You know what I think about romance, soulmates and everything. People should be free and if they don't feel like talking do not force them." Insisted Renjun.

"Oh my God!" Exclaimed Hyuck, not paying attention to him. "We lock them together in a room so Jeno can't escape and they will be forced to talk!"

Both of his friends looked at him like he was crazy.

"What?? Isn't it a brilliant idea?"

"Life is not a movie." Stated Renjun. "It won't work."

"What if you upset Jeno even more and he refuses to talk to Jaemin forever?" Asked Mark.

Hyuck frowned. "Uhm... We need a way to make sure they will actually talk... I know!! We send them on national TV!"

"We send them where??" Asked both Mark and Renjun.

"In TV! You know, that TV show in which you can apologize live to someone you hurt, in front of all the audience! There is no way they can refuse to talk then!"

Renjun stood up. "I'm done with your bullshits, I'm going home."

"What? Why??" Asked Donghyuck.

"You're talking nonsense and I don't have time to waste, I need to study. See you tomorrow."

"But I bought you food! This is unfair! Fuck you, Huang Renjun!" Exclaimed Hyuck, and when Renjun was gone he turned to Mark. "I guess you are about to ditch me too..."

"Uhm... Actually I don't have much to do at home... Moreover, you treated me hoppang." Replied the boy, shrugging his shoulders with a friendly smile.

"So... What do you think about the TV show idea?"

"I don't think it would work... You know, it's complicated. You should wait for a new season and a new casting and I'm not even sure you could send them there without their permission..."

"Damn. What can I do then? There must be a way!"

"Haechan, why do you want to see them together so bad?"

It didn't sound like a rethorical question, Mark looked really curious about it and Donghyuck esitated a bit. "I... For a lot of reasons."

"Tell me."

"Well, first of all because Jeno deserves to be finally happy... He has suffered a lot because of this situation and I want him to have his happy ending."

"Do you care a lot about Jeno, don't you?"

Hyuck nodded. "He is my best friend, I've known him since forever and I know he seems a bit cold, but he is such a good friend. I get on people's nerves very easily but Jeno is always nice and deals with all my bullshits, he helps me when I get in trouble and he never complains about it. Sometimes he pretends he hates me but he is just joking because he tells me he loves me as well, and he would never lie about it. And I know he is an homebody but everytime I have told him I really wished to go somewhere with him, he never refused. Sometimes he scolds me, but I know he does it because he loves me. I really want only the best for him."

"Oh..." Replied Mark. "That's so sweet!"

"Uhm, it's not like I'm sweet, you know!! I just care for Jeno as he cares for me. That's all. And to be honest it's not only for him, I want Nomin together also for myself."

"For yourself?"

"Yes, because when I was a child I had them and I didn't need anything else... Then Jaemin disappeared and he never answered to me or Jeno again, so I convinced myself he never really liked us... I thought he was tired of us and I felt really sad, because I thought we were best friends. And Jeno stopped being the usual happy child and distanced himself from everyone, so for a short period I was so scared I would have lost him too... Fortunately, even in the worst moments he never completely ditched me. About Jaemin... I was really mad at him but when he saw me again he told me he missed me and... And I felt happy. I didn't expect it. And when I ate with him he explained me why he had ran away from us and how bad he felt about it so I kinda understand him now. I mean yes, he is a bit of a coward, but at least now I know he was not tired of me. I want them to be a couple so they will both be happy again and maybe they will hang out with me like the old times, so I'll have back my childhood happiness too? It's so hard to make friends nowadays, I don't like people easily and people doesn't like me and I know it's my fault because I'm an annoying brat, but there is not much I can do about it..."

Mark listened attentively to every single word, his brain trying to process the information. He didn't expect Donghyuck to open up so much to him, and he didn't expect him to feel all these things. His hands were sweating a bit since he had never been very good at comforting people.

"Haechan, I…" He started, unsure of how to continue.

The other boy shook his head. "Do not say anything, I'm really sorry. I talked too much and I don't really know why. I should have kept those things for myself. Forget about it."

"No!" Yelled the other. "I mean... I'm grateful that you decided to share your thoughts with me, and I hope that talking made you feel a bit better. I couldn't imagine all of this... Haechan, it's not true that people doesn't like you. You said by yourself that you're really popular on Instagram."

"Yeah." Admitted Donghyuck. "Popular on Instagram, and a loser in real life. Renjun became my friend by accident just because the teacher forced us to spend time together and you... I'm not even sure you and I are friends. You said we weren't."

"Hey no, wait! I just said I thought we were not friends because _you_ had said we were not."

"Uhm, that's right... I always say unnecessarily mean things, that's why people dislikes me. I'm a bad person."

"I don't dislike you." Stated Mark. "And we are friends, okay? I think people feels intimidated by you, that's why you can't make friends. But don't be so hard on yourself, you're not a bad person nor an annoying brat."

"I am both..."

"Trust me, you're not. Maybe you're a bit complicated, yes, but if there is something I have understood is that you are the loyalest friend ever, and that you are so much sweeter than someone could ever imagine seeing you for the first time."

Donghyuck widened his eyes, feeling overwhelmed. "Are you for real??"

Mark nodded. "Of course."

"You'd better not say it just to make me shut Mark Lee, because I will punch you if I find out you're just pitying me!" Scoffed Hyuck.

After a few moments, he hummed: "Seriously... Please, don't pretend you don't dislike me just because I said I'm lonely. It would make things worse..."

"Haechan." Sighed the other. "If I disliked you, would I have played along with your whims? I don't think so."

"My whims??"

"Being called Haechan, for example. I'm not one of your fans, you're aware of this, right? I mean yes, I follow you, but I'm not gonna treat you like a celebrity."

"You follow me on Instagram?"

"Yeah."

"I didn't know that... Oh, but anyway. I guess you can call me Donghyuck, from now on…"

Mark smiled. "What a honour."

"Are you making fun of me??"

"I could never."

After a moment of silence, Donghyuck stood up. "My head is pounding, let's go home... I'll find a way to make Nomin talk after taking a nap."

Mark nodded. "Thank you again for the snack, next time I'll repay you."

"Nah, it's fine."

✿

The following day, at lunch, Donghyuck refused to talk to Mark again, only giving attention to the others.

"Aah, I'm so tired. This morning I was rushing and I forgot my thermos of coffee at home, and this afternoon I also have the football training! How can I survive without my caffeine?" Complained Jaemin.

"Oh, you have football training? Jen and I are coming." Replied Donghyuck.

"We are going where??" Asked Jeno, frowning. The idea of meeting Jaemin twice in a day was making him feel nervous.

"I want to ask the captain of the team if I can still join, even as a reserve. I'll show him my talent."

"But Hyuck..." Protested Jeno. "You know it's not a matter of talent, it's the principal who said you can't join."

"Yes, yes. But it was last year, I'm being an angel now. Just let me try, if I prove them that I'm good enough I'm sure that the captain will put in a good word for me with the principal."

"It may work!" Exclaimed Jaemin. "After all, we haven't had many training sessions for now."

"Come with me Jeno, pleeeease..." Asked Donghyuck with puppy eyes. "I need you to cheer for me."

"Fine..." Sighed the other.

"Thank you Jen, you're the best!"

And so the afternoon came and Jeno and Donghyuck were quietly sitting on the bleachers with Renjun who claimed to have nothing better to do, and they were all watching the football team training. Right after the end, Donghyuck stood up and went to the captain to explain his intention, asking his friends to stay there.

In the meanwhile, Jaemin reached the the third row of the bleachers and sat next to Jeno, greeting both him and Renjun.

"I... I want to cheer for Donghyuck better." Said Jeno, standing up and going down to the first row in a rush.

"Hey Jeno, you dropped this!" Exclaimed Renjun, picking up Jeno's phone.

The boy, who hadn't sat yet, turned to him. "Ah, it must have slipped away from my pocket..."

And that was the perfect moment for Donghyuck: Jeno was standing up still and offering him his back, so he kicked the ball with all his strength and hit his friend right in the center of his back.

"I'm sorry, Jen! I love you!" He exclaimed right after, while Renjun and the team captain were staring at him in shock. Jeno and Jaemin, instead, seemed both frozen and incapable of moving or saying anything.

"What the hell did you do?? Didn't you say you had a very good aim??" Yelled the captain of the team.

"I did, and I was right. My aim is perfect." Replied Donghyuck, calmly.

"It's always you!" Exclaimed a voice, making both turn in that direction. The school principal was walking towards them with steam coming out of his ears.

"Oh-oh..." Muttered Hyuck widening his eyes, then he tried to show off his best smile. "Mister principal, what a pleasure! We haven't seen each other in a while, uh? And oh my God, this new haircut is fantastic!"

"Do not even try, mister Lee. I saw what you did and this time I won't let it slide. Now you come with me." He took Hyuck by the arm and carried him away with everyone now watching the scene, Jeno and Jaemin included.

While Donghyuck was following the principal, Jaemin reached Jeno who looked still shocked and said: "Uhm... Jeno... You won't believe me but something really strange just happened, so... Can we please talk? It's important."

Jeno shook his head while blinking several times in an attempt to realize what had just happened, then he looked at the other in agitation. "I... Later. Sorry. I promise you we will talk, but later. I need to help Hyuck." And so he started running to chase Donghyuck and the principal: "Please, mister principal! Wait! Don't punish him!"

In the end, Jeno decided that telling the truth was the best way to save his friend, so he explained to the principal how he couldn't confess in any way to his soulmate and how Donghyuck was just trying to help him because he was worried for him. After hearing the whole story, the principal decided to forgive Donghyuck but warned him to not do anything stupid.

"Thank you for saving me, Jeno... I actually thought you would have hated me for it." Said Hyuck while they were going back home.

"I did, for like the first thirty seconds... Then I realized it was for the better. Yes, I have a very bad back pain now, but it's not so important... At this point I don't think I would have ever found the courage to speak to Jaemin without being pushed, so I must thank you..."

"My pleasure! Tell him everything."

"I will, tomorrow."

✿

The following day it was the weekend, so there was no school and Jeno and Jaemin texted each other for the first time in order to decide a place where they could talk. After a very short conversation about it, they agreed to meet at Jaemin's house that afternoon since his parents were not at home, and the boy sent his location to Jeno.

When Jeno reached the house, Jaemin opened the door with a cup in his hands.

"Hello, I was just having coffee... Do you want some?"

Jeno shook his head. He was already trying his best to not shake and coffee was the worst idea in a moment like that.

"Oh, okay... Come in, don't be shy."

And so they sat together on the couch in the living room. Jaemin also put some biscuits on the table, but Jeno was really not in the mood.

"So..." Started Jaemin. "You may find this question very weird but trust me, I have my reasons to ask it... Have you ever broken your arm?"

"Yes."

Jaemin gulped. "Which one?"

"The left one."

"Can you tell me when?"

"More or less two years and half ago."

There was a short moment of pause, then Jaemin insisted: "The month?"

"It was the end of September. The 28th." Jeno remembered the date quite well since it was the day he adopted Bongshik and also the day in which he had decided to celebrate her birthday in the following years.

The other boy's heart stopped for a moment. He took a long sip of his coffee, then a deep breath. "Jeno, would you believe me if I tell you that-"

"We are soulmates." Jeno completed the sentence for him.

Jaemin's hands were now definitely shaking, so he let go of his mug putting it on the table to avoid the risk of breaking it. "Did... Did you know??"

Jeno nodded.

"Since when?"

"Since when we were children... I found out almost as soon as we become friends."

"What??" Yelled Jaemin. "Jeno, I'm being serious! Don't joke."

"I'm not joking... I found out when you fell off your bike after Hyuck dared you to ride it without using your hands... I was there, I saw you falling with my own eyes and I felt pain in every single part you hurt. We were 8."

That memory was really not important for Jaemin so it had been hidden into one of his mind drawers until that moment, reappearing only after Jeno had recalled the event.

"Oh God, I remember... Nine years ago… Jeno, did you really keep the secret for nine whole years??"

Jeno bit his lower lip. "I'm sorry."

"But... Why? Why didn't you just tell me?"

"I had my reasons."

"Can I know them? Please..."

Jeno sighed. "They don't matter anymore, and they would sound very stupid now."

Jaemin took his hands, looking into his eyes with a very sad pout. "Please, just tell me."

"I..." Jeno got rid of Jaemin's hands before explaining. "Our friendship was so perfect that I was scared to ruin it. And I thought we were too young to care about soulmates, so it was not very important to let you know. But... I also didn't want you to know it because I wanted you to fall in love with me spontaneously. Like... Not just because I was your soulmate, I wanted you to love me even without knowing it. I know it is stupid but that's why I was waiting for the right moment... And I had thought it had arrived the last day before you left. I tried to tell you the truth that evening, but I just couldn't find the right words..."

"Holy shit, Jeno! You're telling me that not only I betrayed my best friend, but I also broke my soulmate's heart?? No... No. That's not possible. I'm the worst person on earth. I couldn't know..."

Jeno shrugged his shoulders, looking away. "As if it would make a difference. Soulmates or not, you left me without saying anything and this is bad enough also for a couple of regular friends."

"I'm sorry, I'm extremely sorry, Jeno." A tear fell down Jaemin's cheeck. "I thought you didn't even remember me, before Donghyuck told me you were still hurt..."

"It's difficult to forget someone when they constantly remind you that you are bounded to them. Don't get offended but you're so clumsy, Jaemin. I couldn't spend a week without being reminded of you by a random sudden pain."

"What? Really? Am I that clumsy??"

"Yep..."

Jaemin stood up and started walking fast around the room. "It's okay... It's fine... I'm not panicking... I'm not panicking. I just need some moments. I spent my life trying to think you were fine when I was hurting you on a daily basis. Nice. I... I need another coffee."

"No, you don't." Sighed Jeno. "I think a glass of water would be better... Do you want me to get one for you?"

"Yes, thanks! Wait, no! It's my house, I can have water by myself! But thank you."

Jeno stood up as well. "I think it's better if I go home. We are done, right?"

"No!" Shouted Jaemin. "I mean... Please, don't go. I have things to tell you."

Jeno sat again and Jaemin did the same, then he said: "I want to apologize again. Feeling my pain every single time... Oh, God. I'll never apologize enough."

"It's okay, really. It doesn't matter anymore. Now that we are both aware of the truth, the curse won't work anymore and I can finally heal."

Jaemin felt slightly hurt by the world 'curse' since he had always thought it was more like a gift to help people to find their other half, but he could understand Jeno's point of view. "At least now I can be clumsy without causing you problems, I guess..."

"And I can forget you." Added Jeno.

Jaemin froze. "You can what?"

"Forget you. I mean yes, I'll still see you at school, but aside from that I'll be free."

"No, no, no! Wait. Jeno, I'm confused. This is our start or our end?"

Jeno sighed once again. "Our end, I guess. Maybe it's true that soulmates are not always meant to be together."

"But we are meant to be together! The things you just told me... Jeno, I thought you were saying you loved me..."

The boy nodded, staring at the floor to not face Jaemin. "Yes, I did. But you never loved me back and I have accepted it long time ago. Can I just go home, please..."

"This is not true! I love you!" Exclaimed Jaemin, sounding more desperate then he had meant to.

Jeno slowly raised his head, looking at the other in astonishment while a sudden silence fell between the two of them.

"I'm... I'm sorry." Muttered Jaemin after a while, getting shy and looking away. "I didn't mean to burst it out like this, but... It's the truth."

"Don't lie to yourself, you know this can't be true." Replied Jeno.

"But why?"

"Because you don't even know me."

"What does it mean that I don't know you??"

"We are not much more than strangers, right now... You don't know me and I don't know you as well. Too many years have passed since we used to be friends."

"I'm still the same kid who played with you and Hyuck! Maybe I grew up, but I'm still Jaemin... And you're still Jeno. Once I saw you again for the first time, I felt like the five years in which we have been apart had never happened. I felt like I had never left the town. Everything is still where I had left it, and I thought it could be the same for us too..."

"See? That's the problem." Tried to explain Jeno. "You left and happily lived a new life, then you came back here and thought everything was the same. But it isn't. I'm the one who stayed here, I'm the one who walked alone for years on the streets we used to cross together, I'm the one who went to the same cinema where we used to go but without you, who went to the same McDonald's but without you. I got used to you not being here, I really wanted you to stay by my side but now I think this is no longer your place. Do you understand? Seeing you doesn't make me happy like it used to do when we were children, it just makes me feel sad and anxious... I loved you, this is true, but I don't have any trust left in you."

Jeno's eyes were teary but he didn't allow the tears to fall, taking deep breaths and still looking directly at Jaemin. He was trying to think he should have been at least proud of himself for letting out all that he had had on his chest for years and that he thought it would have ended up suffocating him.

On the other hand, Jaemin was in shambles. His head was starting to hurt a lot and all the things he wanted to say to Jeno were whirling into his mind so fast that he couldn't grab any of them. Too many info, too much talking, too many things he would have never imagined. He tried his best to breathe and recall all that Jeno had told him. After a short while in which Jeno was just looking at him waiting for a reaction, he asked: "Wait, did you say that I lived happily without you or something similar?"

"Yes."

"This is false, I wasn't happy without you and I will never be. I tried my best to live my life without thinking about you, but don't think I haven't suffered too because this is not true. It was so damn painful, because I already loved you when I left."

"Did you?"

"I did."

Jeno decided to take a biscuit from the table and eat it, hoping for its sweetness to make him feel a little bit better, but of course it didn't help him at all. "I'm sorry, but I can't believe you. You didn't even care to warn me you were going away, like it was not so important. And you know how many times I have tried to call you? You weren't missing me that much if you never bothered to pick up. Not even once."

Jaemin threw his head back, letting it sink a bit between the couch cushions. "Oh my God, from your perspective it really looks like I didn't care at all! I can't believe it... But let me explain things, please. I found out we were moving not so much time before the actual day, because my parents didn't want me to be sad... Then I wanted to tell it to both Hyuck and you but I kept postponing because I couldn't find the courage, and then I understood what really scared me was the idea of telling it to you. That's why I told Hyuck first, because it was a little bit easier. And I asked him to let me spend my last evening with you because I needed the time to find a way to tell you the truth and because I wanted one good last memory of us. And that's in that period that I started asking myself under which aspect you were different from Hyuck in my eyes, and I came up with the realization that I maybe had romantic feelings towards you. The day we went to the cinema I really wanted to confess you everything by the end of the day, but things weren't going as expected... I understood that I had a _huge_ crush on you and that maybe I had always had it, and I also realized that it was almost certainly reciprocate, so when we were about to separate I tried to talk but I chickened out once again because I didn't want a sad memory of our last day, I didn't want to hurt you or leave you crying..."

"Why didn't you answer my calls? I would have even accepted an SMS saying 'Jeno fuck off and stop calling me, I moved'. Everything but not your silence."

"I... I did it for two reasons. First one is that I was scared, I was scared you would hate me for what I had done... Second reason is that I thought it was for the best to just give a cut to everything between us without sweetening the pill... I thought it would have helped us to forget and move on more easily, but I was terribly wrong. Trust me, I was really tempted to answer you, to apologize, to just cry with you on the phone, but I thought it would have made things worse for both, so after a while I even broke my phone on purpose. I dropped it out of the window and I told my mom that it had slipped out of my hands... So I had to change phone and number and I lost yours."

Jeno listened to him without saying anything, trying to decide if he could actually understand Jaemin's reasons or not.

After a short silence, Jaemin spoke again. "Jeno... A while ago you basically said you gave up on me time ago, right?"

Jeno nodded.

"At this point I guess you may say this is none of my business but... Did you fall in love with someone else after me? I mean, uhm... I just want to know..."

"I didn't." Replied Jeno, eyes focused on a painting on the wall to avoid eye contact with Jaemin. "I'm done with romance, I think. Only the idea of falling in love again and having to chase that someone without even knowing if in the end it would be really worthy makes me feel sick... I'd rather live quietly."

"I dated a girl for a short while." Jaemin waited for a reaction, but all Jeno did was stopping to stare at the painting to look at him with the same plain expression he had had almost all the time. Since he didn't seem intentioned to say anything, Jaemin continued: "It was not because I had feelings for her... Let me explain the whole story."

"You don't owe me an explanation, there was nothing between us. I didn't stay alone because I was waiting for you, but because that's what I preferred."

"Ugh, I know... But please, listen to my story."

"Go on, then."

"This will explain why I asked about your broken arm. There was a girl in my school and I had always thought she was very pretty. We were not classmates but we met during extra activies, and sometimes she also came to watch the training session of my team since I was already playing football. One day, the one you broke your arm, I felt that pain that I couldn't explain and guess what? The next day I saw her with her left arm casted! I asked her about the accident and she told me she had injured herself playing volleyball, since she was in that team. I told her that it was a curious coincidence because the previous day I had felt a similar pain for no reason, and she told me that she felt my pain too everytime she saw me slipping or getting hurt during my training!"

"She lied." Pointed out Jeno.

"Yes, she did! But I believed her, so I asked her out and we started dating... It didn't take me much time to realize I felt nothing for her, but I kept thinking ‘she is your soulmate so try your best to fall in love’. She was pretty but so damn boring... We really had nothing in common. Then I came up with the idea that I should have kissed her to feel something, but guess what? It made things even worse. It made me feel nothing. And, what is even worse, my mind went back to our last day. Our almost-kiss, if we can call it so... It had made me feel so many things that I expected my actual first kiss to be even more special, but it was nothing compared to it... And everyone was nothing compared to you. That was the very first time I realized you were so much more than just a childhood crush I could forget just staying away from you... I realized once for all that what I felt for you was love. Like, _actual_ love. You should have seen me, I was in the most total discomfort and I was very mad at myself for messing up things with you... I just wanted to go home and cry, so I straight up told her ‘Hey listen, I'm sorry but things aren't working at all. I don't know how can we be soulmates but I can't force myself into this anymore.’ Then I felt extremely guilty and I was about to apologize for being so rude but she confessed me she had lied... So we broke up and we never talked to each other again. A pretty pathetic story. And on that day, when I went home... I was really itching to call you, to write to you, to get in touch in any way and tell you that for how much I had tried it was impossible for me to forget you and that I had loved you all along. But I didn't have your number anymore..."

"I... didn't know..." Muttered Jeno, starting to feel even sadder than before, but still not knowing how to behave.

"Do you think it's a coincidence that I'm back?" Asked Jaemin. "Because it isn't. After that day I kept begging my father to ask for a transfer and come back here, but it's not so easy to get one. It took two years but I'm back, I'm here, and the only thing I wanted was to go back to my usual life."

"Jaemin, I honestly don't know what to say."

"Do you hate me?"

"I don't... I'm sorry you suffered too, but I don't see a solution right now. As I already told you I can't feel happy with you anymore, and I can't help but seeing you as a stranger... We are not close anymore, and you know it."

"Wait!" Exclaimed Jaemin. "You said we can't start again from where we had interrupted things, right?"

Jeno nodded. "I'm sorry, my trust is gone."

"Then why don't we erase everything and just start again from the very beginning??" Jaemin's eyes were sparkling while he looked at Jeno in expectation.

"What do you mean...?" Asked the other in confusion.

"Let's just pretend to meet each other for the first time. Let's do everything again..."

"Why?"

"To fall in love again. To learn to trust each other again."

"Jaemin..." Sighed Jeno.

"Please! Please, let's try at least! I don't want to give up on you... We deserve a happy ending and you know we can't be happy without each other, we are soulmates for a reason! I don't care if not all soulmates get together or shit like that, because I know for sure we are meant to be together. Please, just play along with it for a while... A month, okay? Just a month. We can get closer again and learn to understand each other better. After that, if you won't change your mind then I'll give up and I won't bother you again. I promise."

"I don't know what I should answer..."

Jaemin raised his legs hugging them, pressing his knees against his chest and lowering his head to hide his face between them. "You really don't want it..." He whispered, more to himself than to Jeno.

"I..." Seeing Jaemin so heartbroken, Jeno stretched out his hand to caress his head but then he stopped halfway, unsure whether doing it or not. After a short moment he slowly lowered it, thinking it was better to avoid it. "I can't assure you anything Jaemin, and I'm scared it would give you false hopes and hurt you even more. But if you really want to risk..."

"I want!" Exclaimed Jaemin, raising his head and widening his eyes. "Thank you, Jeno! I'll do my best!"

After a short silence he added: "Uhm... Can I hug you? No implications. Please, I think I really need it."

Jeno hesitated a bit, then he opened his arms and let Jaemin hug him, hugging him back. Jaemin hid his face into Jeno's shoulder without saying anything, but the other heard him sobbing and gently patted his head, trying to endure the urge of crying in turn. It had been a quite intense afternoon.

They stayed like that for some minutes, until Jaemin's mother entered the room.

"Jaemin, I'm home! I had some... Oh."

She startled both and they suddenly broke the hug, feeling pretty uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry, have I interrupted something? Jaemin I didn't know that..." The woman squinted her eyes. "Oh my God! Jeno, is that you??"

"U-uhm, good evening..." Muttered Jeno shyly, standing up and bowing his head.

"Oh my God, you are so beautiful and tall! You were so small when I last saw you, I can't believe you have grown up so much!"

"Mom!!" Exclaimed Jaemin, burying his face into a cushion and hoping to just disappear into it.

"Will you stay for dinner? I remember you loved my special chicken and that's what I was planning to cook!"

"U-uhm, I'm sorry but I'd rather not... I... I have things to do at home. I'm really sorry. Goodbye Jaemin, goodbye Mrs Na. Thanks for the hospitality." With his head lowered and a strong feeling of uneasiness Jeno found its way to the door, leaving the woman quite surprised.

"Did I say something wrong??" She asked to his son. "I saw you hugging and thought things between you two were good now..."

"Not yet." Sighed Jaemin. "But we are working on it, I think."

Jaemin's mother knew how much Jeno was important for Jaemin and she also knew things weren't going well until that moment, so she sat next to the boy and ruffled his hair with a reassuring smile. "Come on little bunny, things will go better."

Jaemin pouted. He didn't always like to be babied like that, but he really needed some love under that circumstances. "Are you really making your special chicken? I want a double portion."

✿

The following afternoon Jeno was watching a movie on Netflix when someone rang the doorbell, so he paused the movie and went to check. Looking through the peephole, he saw Jaemin and panicked a little. He was just in his homewear, with his white t-shirt, his black shorts, barefoot and wearing glasses, while Jaemin was all pretty with a sky-blue shirt and ripped jeans.

He took a breath and opened the door. "Uhm, hi..."

"Hello!" Exclaimed Jaemin with a big smile. "I'm Na Jaemin and I moved here recently."

"Jaemin what...?"

"This is for you!" Jaemin gave him a box and Jeno looked at it. Could it be.... The gummy crocodiles. He smiled nostalgically, recalling his first meeting with Jaemin.

"I'm Lee Jeno, nice to meet you..."

"I hope we will get along well!"

Jeno nodded. "I hope so too."

"I'll go home now, you were probably busy and I don't want to bother you any longer..." Muttered Jaemin, and he was about to leave when he heard a meowing and peeked into Jeno's flat. "Wait, do you have a cat??" He made some smooching sounds and the cat arrived, looking at him with big eyes and then hiding behind Jeno's legs.

"Noo, come here! I'm nice!" Exclaimed the boy, crouching down and gently snapping at the cat. But he didn't receive any attention, so he stood up again and said: "So pretty! What's his name?"

"Her name is Bongshik."

"Oh, a mademoiselle!" Jaemin sighed. "I'd love to play with her..."

"Do you want to come in? She is just shy at first, but she is really nice."

"Uhm... Are you sure I'm not disturbing you? I can leave, really."

"I'm sure, I wasn't doing anything special. I'm just sorry you have to see me in this messy state... I didn't expect any visit."

"Please, you're so beautiful..." Replied Jaemin almost in a sigh, and it sounded so genuine that Jeno couldn't help but blushing a little bit.

Jaemin stepped inside and Jeno closed the door, taking Bongshik into his arms.

"Wow, your house changed a lot!" Exclaimed Jaemin.

"Uhm yes, my mom redecorated it some time ago... But my room is pretty much the same, no big changes."

And so they went to Jeno's room and they sat on the bed, Jeno gently leaning his cat on Jaemin's legs. "You can pat her, she is very quiet."

"Uhm, won't she scratch me?"

"Nah, she is too lazy for that."

Jaemin chuckled. "Let's try..." He caressed the cat fur very carefully, then he got a little more comfortable with her. "Jeno, she is so soft! I would never be sad with a kitty like her."

"She does help a bit..." Hummed Jeno.

Jaemin looked at him with a sad pout, then he laid his eyes on something in the corner of the room. "Oh, you got a guitar too."

"Uhm, yes."

"Can you play something for me?"

"I haven't touched it in a while, I don't think it's a good idea..."

Jaemin made puppy eyes. "Pleease..."

Jeno sighed and took his guitar, then he sat back next to the other who was still cuddling the resting cat. He thought for a moment, then he started playing a very melancholic song.

"Jeno... This song is about to make me cry..." Muttered Jaemin after a while.

Jeno stopped immediately. "I'm sorry."

"Uhm, no, it's fine. It was really beautiful. But it's unfamiliar..."

"Thank you. You don't know it because I wrote it." He paused. "A long time ago."

"Really??"

Jeno nodded. "Because of..." He stopped, a sense of uneasiness pervading him. "Nevermind."

"Was it... Because of me?"

Jeno didn't answer and stood up to put the guitar back to its place. "I told you it was a bad idea."

Jaemin stayed quiet for some moments, then he raised his head and said: "Jeno, this is not worth it."

"What is not worth it?"

"Me..." The boy's voice was almost a whisper and Jeno couldn't hear him.

"Euhm?" It was the cute sound Jeno used to make whenever he felt confused. Jaemin could still remember it from the old times and the resurfacing memories made him even sadder.

"I said me. I'm not worth it..."

"I'm not following you..."

"I made you suffer so much and now I'm here asking for your heart... I'm so selfish, but really so fucking selfish. This is just wrong." He moved Bongshik from his legs to the bed and stood up, the cat meowing in surprise.

"You said you love me..."

Jaemin froze for the surprise. "I... I did."

"You take it back?"

"No!!" He exclaimed with an instinctive pout, then he looked into Jeno's eyes. "I don't take it back. It's true and that's why I don't want to force you into this anymore. You really need to heal and stay away from your source of pain, aka me."

"But you also said you really think we are meant to be together."

"I... I don't know anymore. I can't see you in these conditions..."

Jeno sighed. "I'm fine."

"You're not."

"Okay I'm not, but I'm trying. And you said you couldn't be happy without me."

"Are you doing it for me?"

"I'm doing it for both, as I learnt I'm not the only one who suffered."

"But it was my fault..."

"Yes." Replied Jeno drily.

Jaemin gulped. "S-see? I'm the problem here."

"But you were a child. Would you do such a thing again?" 

"No! Absolutely not!"

"Are you sure?"

"I'm totally sure. We just moved back here so there can't be any relocation for a while, and I'm almost an adult. Even if my parents had to move again in the future, I'd stay here. I'm not leaving you anymore, Jeno. I already made this mistake and I swear I won't repeat it no matter what."

"So it's okay to give you at least a chance, after all I have nothing more to lose."

Jaemin took Bongshik into his arms again and offered her to Jeno. "Take the cat."

"What?" Asked Jeno, taking her.

"Uhm... I'd like to hug you, but I know you're still uncomfortable. Yesterday I noticed it. So uhm, yes, hug the cat please? I want you to get the hug anyway..."

Jeno chuckled a little hearing that childish yet very cute idea. "Are you for real?"

"Uhm, yes."

"Okay." And so he hugged the cat.

After that, Jaemin went back home.

✿ 

Another day of school came and Jeno, Haechan and Renjun were entering the school gate when Mark, who was waiting next to it, blocked Donghyuck's way.

"Hello. Can we talk?"

"Oh-oh!" Exclaimed Renjun. "What did you do, Hyuck?"

"Did something bad happen?" Asked Jeno.

"I did nothing!" Exclaimed Donghyuck. "Classes are starting, goodbye!" And so he run into the building as fast as he could, leaving the others quite perplexed.

"What happened?" Asked Renjun.

"I don't know!" Exclaimed Mark. "Like... We had some... Uh, bonding time? And then he stopped talking to me. I wrote to him during the weekend and he just ignored me."

"Suspicious." Stated Renjun.

"Bonding time? Uhm... Did he overshare?" Asked Jeno.

"Uhm, yes, I think so..." Replied Mark.

"I think he just feel uncomfortable, then... Did he say something that upset you? Did he annoy you?"

"Uhm, no, no. Not at all."

"Then tell him... Tell him it's okay. He probably just thinks he annoyed you and doesn't want to bother you anymore. Sometimes he is like this."

"I'll tell him! If I'll manage to talk to him."

"Lock yourself in a room with him like he wanted to do with Jeno and Jaemin." Proposed Renjun ironically.

"He wanted to do what???" Asked Jeno.

The Chinese boy shrugged his shoulders. "Uhm, nothing, nothing. I don't want to be late so see you at lunch, guys."

✿

And lunch time came too, with Jaemin giving frosted biscuits to everyone at their table.

"Woah, did you bake them by yourself??" Asked Mark.

"Yes, I did! I love cooking and I'm experimenting baking too."

"Okay but you gave 5 biscuits to each of us... Why did Jeno get at least 10?" Asked Renjun raising a brow.

"Uhm... I'm bad at math?" Chuckled Jaemin, shrugging his shoulders.

"No, you're just whipped." Replied Donghyuck, making Jeno's cheeks turn red.

"Yes, maybe I am." Admitted Jaemin very calmly, surprising the others.

"Uhm, I... I'll go to the bathroom!" Exclaimed Jeno, suddenly leaving the table to hide how embarassed he was.

A few moments later, a guy they didn't know approached them. "Hello, my friends."

"Since when we are friends?" Asked Hyuck.

"Since now, because I saw the biscuits. Can I have some?"

"Uhm... I already gave them to my friends and it wouldn't be nice to take them back, but since I made some extras for me you can take one of mines?" Proposed Jaemin.

"Two." Replied the guy.

"How spoiled!" Exclaimed Renjun.

"Uhm, sorry. I just want one for me and one for him... Actually he is the one who was craving for them."

"Are you talking about the invisible man? Because I can't see anyone with you." Said Donghyuck.

"Jisung Park!" Exclaimed the boy, suddenly turning back to find out he was alone. "Wait a second, guys." And he went away.

After some moments he came back pulling another guy for his arm. "Chenle, please! No!"

"He is my friend. The one who wanted the biscuits." Explained the first one.

"Oh, but I know you!" Said Jaemin to the second guy. "You are in the football team with me. You're Jisung, from first year."

"Uhm, h-hello..." He muttered.

"Take one of my biscuits."

"No, no, really! It's not necessary! I... I just told Chenle that your biscuits had such a good smell and I would have liked to eat one, but I didn't expect him to come here and ask for them for real! I'm really sorry, sometimes he is just..."

"I'm just what??" Asked Chenle. "Take the biscuit and thank me."

"But..."

Jaemin smiled at him, offering the box. "Take a biscuit, Jisung. And you too."

"Thank you." Replied Jisung, taking the biscuit and biting it. "Wow, they are so good! Thank you, really!"

"Thank you." Said Chenle too. "I'll eat mine after finishing the lunch. Anyway I'm Chenle and you are?"

"Annoyed." Replied Donghyuck.

"Hyuck!" Exclaimed Jaemin. "Don't mind him. I'm Jaemin."

"Goodbye Jaemin, you're a nice guy!"

And so Chenle and Jisung left.

✿

Two days passed without any change in the group's dynamics: Jeno and Jaemin were now texting each other but they couldn't hang out yet because of homeworks, Renjun was studying more than ever and Mark still hadn't found a way to make Donghyuck talk to him. They were once again sitting together at lunch when Donghyuck, scrolling through his phone, exclaimed: "Oh my God! Oh! My! God!"

"Do you always need to be this loud?" Asked Renjun.

"Yes, I do. There is a vocalist contest and this is my occasion!"

"Your occasion to embarass yourself?"

"Huang Renjun!" Donghyuck stood up and tried to reach his friend miming a gesture as if he wanted to choke him, but Jaemin who was sitting in the between stopped him.

"I listened to the cover you posted, your voice is so good!"

"See?" Asked Hyuck to Renjun, sitting back at his place and bleeping at him. "Someone here has good taste. Jeno, this afternoon we will start practicing."

"I didn't know I was involved in this." Commented Jeno.

"Of course you are! Who would play the guitar for me otherwise?"

"But I'm busy, I still have a lot of assignments to complete. Why don't you ask Mark?"

"Mark don't have time for this! It's his last year so he must be really busy with his studies."

"Uhm, I do actually have time. I'm pretty quick when it comes to homeworks." Replied Mark. Donghyuck looked at him in surprise.

"But... How can I be sure you can actually play the guitar? Maybe you're not so good."

"I was in the church choir, remember? I used to play it in front of people."

"Well, he must be good or they would have kicked him out." Said Jaemin.

"Okay but come on, he is from the church choir! I do not want to sing the hallelujah, you know?? That's probably all he can play, while I'm looking for something like... I don't know, something from a girl group? Or maybe Monster by EXO?"

"For your information..." started Mark. "I can play both."

"What??" Asked all of them in surprise.

"You can play both what?" Asked Donghyuck diffidently.

"Monster and the hallelujah."

"No way! You're joking!" Exclaimed Renjun laughing.

"I'm not joking guys, I'm serious!" Assured Mark.

"Damn, that's impressive!" Replied the other.

"Mark, you're so full of resources!" Exclaimed Jaemin.

"See, Hyuck? Mark is perfect." Said Jeno.

"Okay, okay, fine. Let's assume you can play them for real... I'll make you lose a lot of time. Jeno knows, I'll redo everything until it's perfect and you will have to play the song _a lot_ of times. Do you still want to help?" Asked Donghyuck to Mark.

"Yeah."

Hyuck widened his eyes. "U-uhm, fine. I'll give you my address so you can come to my house this afternoon, then..."

✿

When Mark showed up at Donghyuck's door the boy let him in without saying anything, almost looking mad at him.

"Uhm, hi, Donghyuck. You don't seem very happy to see me."

"Because I'm not."

Mark felt a bit hurt but decided to not reply.

"We will stay in the kitchen because I'm not gonna show you my room." And so they sat at the kitchen table. "And please go back at calling me Haechan since we are here only to work."

"You really love to test people's patience, don't you?" Asked Mark with a deep sigh.

"It never lasts long. I wonder when you will be tired enough to leave."

"I'm not leaving, because I know you're faking."

"W-what??" Donghyuck felt taken aback. "I'm faking what?"

"Your personality. This ‘bad bitch who doesn't care about anything’ aura you keep trying to display doesn't work anymore."

Hyuck frooze incapable of saying anything, just staring at Mark with widened eyes.

"I'm sorry!" Added Mark after a few moments, with a really worried face. "I'm sorry, please, don't hate me. I didn't want to sound rude. I'm just sad because I really thought we could be good friends but you keep driving a wedge between us and I don't know why..."

"I'm scared."

"Of what?"

"Getting attached to you, okay? I'm scared of it. I don't know why you're still here after me ranting about my life and treating you bad."

"Donghyuck, why? I'm your friend, I'm here for you. You don't need to be scared, because I won't hurt you."

"How can I be sure of it?"

"That's the point. You have to trust me. Trusting others is the only thing we can do."

"But people are not so trustworthy..."

"I will be."

"Do you really like me this much?" Asked Donghyuck ironically, raising an eyebrow.

"I do." Replied Mark firmly, but seeing the other's face reddening he added: "Uhm, yeah, I mean. I like you as much as I like Jaemin, and Renjun, and Jeno. And some of my classmates, and my grandmother, and..."

"Aah, shut up Mark Lee! You're getting on my nerves. I got it, don't worry. You like me as much as you like the rest of the world, very wholesome." He secretly pinched his leg to annoy Mark, then he added: "Please, let's start practicing."

Mark nodded and so they started, not talking about anything else that day.

✿

The following day, Donghyuck was invited by Jaemin to go to the arcade with him and Jeno and he accepted happily, thinking it would have been a great distraction from Mark and a good excuse to not practice with him for that day. Moreover, he had been dreaming of an afternoon of fun with Jeno and Jaemin for such a long time that he still couldn't believe it was happening for real.

"I had so much fun today! I really needed it!" He exclaimed while he was heading home with Jeno. They would have stayed longer but it was already late in the evening and the arcade had to close.

"I'm glad you had fun. It's been a nice day for me too." Replied Jeno with a soft smile.

"It felt like the old times."

"Yes, kinda."

"I can see things are getting better between you and Jaemin, even if you need to loosen up a bit more."

Jeno sighed. "I'm trying."

"I know, and I'm proud of you for this."

"Uuhm, but what about you and Mark?"

Donghyuck'a heart started beating faster. "Mark and I? What?? What do I have to do with him??"

"You are soulmates too, you know."

"Oh, right... Well, uhm, I don't know."

"Mark is really a good guy, and he cares for you."

"You mean he pities me?"

"No, he really wants to get closer to you. He is not pitying you at all, trust me."

"Do you think I should be nicer to him?"

"Definitely."

"I'm not rude on purpose, but I can't help it."

"You just need to loosen up too."

"Uhm, I guess so... Let's both work on this."

Jeno nodded. "Let's do it."

✿

The second time Mark visited Hyuck's house to practice the song, the latter had thought of something to apologize for being rude.

When Mark sat at the kitchen table, Hyuck offered him something before sitting too.

"You dropped this." He said, looking at his own hand to avoid making eye contact.

"Uh? I didn't drop anything." Replied Mark, looking at what Hyuck had given him with curiosity. It was a plectrum. "Donghyuck!" He exclaimed with an incredulous laugh. "Is it for me?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. I said you just dropped it while you were sitting."

Mark looked at the lion printed on the small object. "A lion? Did you know that my nickname is baby lion?? I never told you... And I don't remember telling you about my birthday either, but I'm a Leo!"

Hyuck scoffed. "I didn't know about your nickname, you're just very predictable. And no, you didn't tell me you're a Leo either, but you told Jaemin when he said he was a Leo too."

Mark laughed again, it was an habit when he was flustered. "When I talk to you you always pretend you can't hear me, but you're actually attentive even when I'm talking to someone else?? Man, I really didn't expect it."

Hyuck's face become red and he stood up to open the window. "Shut up, Mark Lee! Who gave you all this confidence? I overheard by accident while minding my own business."

"Thank you, really. I'll cherish it."

"You can throw it in the trash, for all I care."

"I could never! I really like it."

✿

For how much Hyuck didn't like to study hard, sometimes he really had to. For a few days he couldn't practice with Mark and his only moment of diversion was a pizza night with Jeno and Renjun, a sort of tradition they had had since the first year and that it would have been a pity to not respect.

After passing his science quiz (and almost with a grade as high as Renjun's), he texted Mark to meet each other in the schoolyard after classes to discuss a new day to practice again.

When he spotted Mark, he was talking with a girl. Hyuck wondered whether to wait for them to finish talking or not, but he decided to interrupt them because he was tired and he wanted to go home soon.

"...so thank you for always being nice and, uhm, I was wondering if you would like to hang out with me this evening... At the theatre." This is what the girl was asking to Mark while blushing when Donghyuck was close enough to hear her.

"W-what?" Stuttered Mark, laughing in panic. "Thank you, I-"

"He can't!" Shouted Donghyuck, startling both Mark and the girl.

"I'm sorry, what?" Asked the latter, eyes widened. "And who are you?"

"I'm Haechan, I'm a singer and Mark is my guitarist. He can't, because tonight we need to practice. We have already planned it."

"Uhm, no, we haven't?" Replied Mark with perplexity.

"Yes." Hissed Hyuck, intimidating his friend. "We have planned it some days ago, I can't believe you forgot it."

"Uhm, yeah, right." Mark turned to the girl. "I'm sorry, but he is right. And I think we will be busy in the next future too so, uhm, maybe you can find someone else?"

"Got it." Replied the girl. "Don't worry Mark, it's okay. See you around?"

"Uhm, yeah. See you around, and sorry again." Mark smiled at her in an apologetic way and the girl nodded, then she made a grimace to Donghyuck sticking out her tongue before leaving.

Her gesture jolted the boy, who blinked and exclaimed a "Bitch, what??" in a very outraged tone.

"Donghyuck!" Mark scolded him, then he added: "You know you owe me an explanation, right?"

"Oh, look, it's so late!" Exclaimed Hyuck, lifting the sleeve of his shirt to look at his wrist.

"You're not wearing any watch, Hyuck..."

"I don't need a watch to know it's late."

"Will we really practice tonight?"

"If you want."

"What does it mean if I want?? Should I come to your house or not?"

"I'm home, the rest is up to you. Bye."

"Wait!"

But Donghyuck was already gone, so Mark sighed. ‘That boy really gives me headaches...’ He thought, but he knew he low-key enjoyed spending time with him.

✿

After going back home Donghyuck went to Jeno's flat, ringing the doorbell. He was quite surprised when the one who opened the door was Jaemin.

"Hello, Hyuck." He smiled. He was wearing a pink kitchen apron.

"Uhm, hello." Replied the other, entering the door and looking around to only notice Bongshik sleeping on the couch. "Where is Jeno?"

"In the kitchen. He his kneading the dough with his hands, that's why he couldn't open the door."

"What the hell are you two even doing in the kitch... No, no, wait, don't tell me. I don't want to know. Couples shit, I guess."

Jaemin chuckled. "I'm just teaching him how to bake."

"You deserve a medal just for making Jeno enter the kitchen because in my 17 years of life I've never seen him cooking anything, not even an egg. I had lost hope."

"Hey, I can hear you!" Exclaimed Jeno, and the other two guys reached him.

Donghyuck sat at the table and just watched the work in progress.

"What are you two baking?"

"Apple pie." Replied Jaemin.

"I want some."

"You will have to wait." Pointed out Jeno.

"Uhm, of course. Anyway. I'm here because I may have done something..."

Jeno sighed. "What should I cover up this time?"

"Uhm, no, that's not it. I may have fucked up things with Mark..."

Remembering that he wasn't aware of the situation, Donghyuck turned to Jaemin who had just started to slice apples. "Uhm, the situation is complicated because Mark is..."

"Your soulmate." Replied the boy with a smile.

"Jeno!! It was a secret!"

"What??" Asked Jeno. "I didn't snitch, who do you think I am?"

"Then how does he know?"

Jaemin chuckled. "You really can't handle pain, right?"

"Uhm, right." Admitted Donghyuck.

"That's why I know. I noticed your expressions when Mark bumps into something. Like today too, when he slammed his elbow against the table, you touched yours and you looked in pain."

"Oh God, am I so obvious??"

"Let's say you have always been quite theatrical in everything, Hyuck." Commented Jeno with a chortle.

"Because I'm born to be a celebrity! Being theatrical is part of my nature, I can't help it."

"Are you gonna tell us what happened with Mark or not?"

"Uhm, yes. I don't know, I saw a girl asking him out and I... I told her that he couldn't instead of letting Mark speak."

"Uuhh, jealous baby!" Jaemin teased him.

"That's not it! Okay maybe, but not really! I mean, it's not like I have feelings for that clumsy dumbass, absolutely not! But, uhm... He is still my soulmate after all, isn't he? So why should I let him go out with someone else?"

"He doesn't know it." Replied Jeno. "You told me this for years and now I'm gonna say it to you: tell him the truth. You know it's the right thing to do."

"But..."

"Yes, please, Donghyuck. Tell him, it's really unfair to keep it secret. Please, you don't know how much it sucks to be on the other side and not know anything... " Pleaded Jaemin.

"Uhm, fine. I'll try, I promise." Replied Hyuck. Then he noticed how the atmosphere was now quite tense between his two friends, with Jaemin looking really sad and Jeno staring at him with an illegible expression, so he added: "Uhm, guys, I'm leaving now. Bring me some pie when it's ready okay? Don't forget it! Goodbye."

Once he had left, Jeno spoke. "I told you my reasons. You know why I kept it secret."

Jaemin nodded. "Yes, but you know you should have told me."

"It wouldn't have made any difference."

"It would!"

"You would have left anyway."

"I know, but... Ah, let's just finish this pie. Good job with the dough, but let me add the apples now."

"Whatever."

They didn't talk anymore and Jeno let Jaemin follow the last steps of the recipe alone since he was the one who knew it. When the pie was finally in the oven they both sat at the kitchen table, Jeno looking at his phone and Jaemin staring at the pie like it would have made it cook faster.

"Jeno?" Asked Jaemin after a while.

"Mh?"

"Look at me, please."

Jeno lifted his head.

"I don't want to fight with you, please. It makes me feel so bad..."

Jaemin looked like he was about to cry, and Jeno's heart stopped for a moment. "I didn't want to fight with you as well, but you made that cutting remark..."

"It was just an advice for Donghyuck! Nothing personal!"

"Are you sure..."

"Uhm... I admit I'm still quite hurt if I think you have hidden the truth from me for so long."

"Well, me too I'm still hurt by your past actions." 

"Jeno... I'm sorry. We have already talked about this and we have already apologized for our mistakes. Please, we are here together now, and we were having fun until a few ago... That's all that really matters, right? We should really both leave the past behind us if we want to make things work. We can be here for each other and heal together, it doesn't matter if it will take time!"

"I'm sorry too, maybe I was being too sensitive."

"Jeno, you're really important for me."

Jeno stood up and went to Jaemin's chair, hugging him from behind and bending down to bury his face into the other's shoulder. "Let's make things work, please." He replied, almost in a whisper.

It was the first time in ages that he initiated skinship with Jaemin, so the latter was extremely surprised and got slightly shy. He wanted to say something but he just put his hands on Jeno's, closing his eyes and enjoying that warming feeling.

After that, the oven timer rang and they put out the pie, commenting that it really looked good.

✿

When Mark reached Donghyuck's house that evening, he was greeted by his friend's mother.

"You didn't tell me your parents were at home..." He muttered after being escorted to Donghyuck's room. He didn't expect to meet them for the first time, and he was slightly embarrassed.

"I didn't tell you they weren't home either."

"But you always make us practice when they are not!"

"But today isn't practice day..."

"Donghyuck! You told me to come..."

"No, I told you to do what you wanted. It's your fault if you're here."

Mark sighed. "Oh, God. Give me strength."

Donghyuck's mother knocked the door and brought them two plates with two slices of pie, then she left.

"Jeno and Jaemin baked it." Explained Hyuck.

"Looks tasty!"

"Try before me. I think I kinda made Nomin fight so I want to be sure Jeno is not trying to poison me, and it's not a big loss if it's you the one who gets poisoned."

"Oh, Donghyuck, you got the wrong guy. I'll be the one to poison you one of these days, not Jeno."

"I'm sorry, what??"

"Since we are not going to practice, explain me what happened today."

Donghyuck almost chocked with a piece of pie. "Uhm. I changed my mind, we will start practicing as soon as we finish eating."

"After talking, maybe."

"I have nothing to say."

"Why did you reject that girl for me? Why didn't you let me talk?"

Hyuck swallowed, starting to sweat. "Uhm... Because... Because... Because if you get a girlfriend you won't have enough time to practice with me and you will start ditching the singer and that's really unprofessional!"

"Unprofessional?"

"You work for me..."

"I do not work for you, you don't even pay me. I'm doing you a favour, remember? And we are almost done..."

"Okay, you don't work for me, but you work with me. With your guitar and my voice we can work together in the future too... We can make money out of it."

"So, dating someone is unprofessional."

"Uhm, yes."

"That's all? There isn't any other reason?"

"That's all."

"Donghyuck, I was going to reject her anyway. I do not date." Explained Mark, calmly.

"What? Why??" Asked the other in surprise.

"I'm waiting for my soulmate."

Donghyuck blushed heavily but tried to hide it lowering his head, taking is phone and pretending to scroll his Instagram feed. "Uhm... So you are waiting for them? Will they be your first?"

"Yeah, that's what I've decided since I was a child. I can't wait to meet her."

Donghyuck lifted his head, eyes widened. "Her???"

Mark looked at him with a frown. "Uhm, yes? My soulmate. I wonder when I'll meet her."

"Do you... Think it's a girl?"

"Well, yes... Wait, do you think it may not be a girl?"

"Uhm, who knows?? The world is full of... Uhm... Possibilities."

"Well, now that I think about it... You're right. I don't know why, it’s not that I have something against it, but I simply never thought my soulmate could not be a girl."

"We are so different..." Stated the other, shaking his head. "I never thought my soulmate _could_ be a girl!"

"Wait, are you perhaps into boys?"

"Mark Lee... You're not as smart as you think you are."

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing."

"Donghyuck?"

"I said nothing."

✿

Jeno, Donghyuck and Renjun were now watching the football match between their school and another one, cheering for Jaemin. After a goal scored during the final minute by Park Jisung, his friend Chenle stood up and started screaming in a very high pitched voice, making the three boys -alongside with the rest of the stadium- turn towards him.

As soon at the match ended, people started to leave but Chenle reached Jisung in the pitch and Jeno, Donghyuck and Renjun went to Jaemin.

"The world champion is Jisung Pwaaaak!" Exclaimed Chenle jumping around.

"Chenle please, stop! People are watching..." Muttered the other, noticing how weirdly some guys were staring at them.

"And so?? They must know I'm your friend, because you may be famous one day! Oh, but there is Renjun there! Heyy, Renjun!"

The boy who was talking with Jaemin turned to him and waved. "Hi, Chenle!"

"Are you two friends now?" Asked Donghyuck with suspect.

"Yeah. My friend Jun came here from China for a couple of days and I hang out with him to find out Chenle was his friend too. How small is the world!"

Meanwhile, Chenle and Jisung had reached them.

"Hello, Renjun's friends. Nice match, biscuit boy! How was it... Ah, Jaemin!" Said Chenle with a big smile.

"Thank you, but we wouldn't have won without Jisung's incredible talent!" Replied Jaemin.

"No, no, I've just been lucky!" Exclaimed Jisung getting shy and covering his face.

"Guys, I'm having a party at my house this Saturday evening and you are all invited!" Exclaimed Chenle. "And bring whoever you want, don't worry! You can also bring some alcohol if you want but I don't take any responsibility for it, okay? I can let you keep it the fridge but if someone asks, I don't know about it."

"Chenle!" Exclaimed Jisung. "You can't say this! Guys, you shouldn't bring any alcohol..."

"We are all adults!" Protested Chenle.

"We are not!" Insisted the other.

"Renjun, will you come?" Asked Chenle.

"I think so!"

"I have already invited that boy that sits on your table too! Actually, all of his class because I have some friends there."

"How big is your house??" Asked Hyuck.

Chenle chuckled. "Big enough. I hope to see you all at the party! Bye!"

"Bye, Chenle. See you in the locker room in a few minutes, Jisung." Said Jaemin.

"Jen, are we attending??" Asked Donghyuck.

"Uuhmm... You know I don't like parties..."

"I'd like to attend, Chenle seems funny." Stated Jaemin.

"I'd like to attend too, even if I always ditch any party. Please, Jeno. Let's go!"

"Fine, I guess."

✿

When that Saturday Jeno and Donghyuck reached Chenle's very big house, it was full of people because the party had already started. Celebrities always come a little later, as Hyuck had said to his friend.

When they entered the living room, some people stared at them in surprise.

"Aren't those that unreachable duo?" Whispered a girl to another one.

"I thought they didn't attend parties..." Muttered a boy to one of his friends.

A grin found its way to Donghyuck's face. Celebrities, as he had said. And he was not going to mind any of the comments, since he was there to find his friends and Mark.

It didn't take them long to spot Jaemin, sitting on the couch and chatting with some people.

"Go to him!" Exclaimed Hyuck.

"Uhm, he is having fun with other people... I don't want to bother him..." Muttered Jeno.

"Don't be stupid and go! I'll be looking for Renjun and Mark."

Hyuck left and Jeno made a couple of steps but then he stopped, just watching Jaemin laughing at someone's joke. Differently from Jaemin, he really had problems to interact with other people.

After a few moments, a boy from the group said in a pissed tone: "Hey, why is that boy staring at us? Isn't he the one who never talks to anyone? Does he think he is better than us??"

Jaemin turned in that direction and noticed Jeno. "Oh, he must be looking for me! Don't be rude please, he is just an introvert but I swear he is really nice..." Then he raised his voice to outdo the music. "Jeno, hi!! Come here!"

Jeno reached him and tried to smile. "Uhm, hello."

"Sit with us. Guys, this is my... Close friend Jeno." Said Jaemin with a reassuring smile while the other sat next to him.

After going around for the big house for a while and bumping into Renjun and Chenle who were conversing in Chinese, Donghyuck finally spotted Mark next to a table, holding a glass of cola and chatting with a tall guy.

"Hello, Mark!" He said, approaching him.

"Oh, hi, Hyuck. I was talking with my friend."

"Hello, I'm Lucas." Said the tall guy with a big smile.

"I'm Haechan."

Mark and Lucas started talking again and, since they were classmates and they were talking about one of their professors, it was hard for Hyuck to take part in the conversation and so he just listened to them. Moreover, it was quite annoying for him to see Mark laughing at everything his classmate was saying, even if it was not actually that funny.

"...and so he left the building! He just left!" Exclaimed Lucas with an incredulous laugh.

"Don't tell me!" Exclaimed Mark, laughing more than him.

"It was not such a funny story. I don't know why I'm still listening." Commented Donghyuck, making the other guys look at him with a frown. But in a few moments they started talking to each other again, making Hyuck feel mad at them.

A guy who had just reached that point of the room yelled: "Who wants to play Spin The Bottle?? We are starting a round!"

"I'm going to play." Said Hyuck, looking at Mark and waiting for a reaction.

"Have fun!" Exclaimed Lucas, while Mark didn't say anything.

"Thank you, I hope you won't." Replied Hyuck coldly. He didn't want to play for real but now he was really upset, so he decided to do it.

He followed the guy to another point of the big room, in which 12 or 13 guys and girls were sitting on the floor in circle with an empty bottle in the middle.

He regretted it quite soon and he hoped to never get chosen but, after more or less ten minutes, the bottle decided that he had to play 7 Minutes in Heaven with a random pretty girl, and so he got locked in a closet with her.

"Hey, listen, I'm gay. I'm not going to make out with you, I don't like girls." He said as soon as the others closed the door.

"Quite funny." Chuckled the other. "Because _I_ do. And I don't want to make out with you either."

"This is relieving."

"My name is Yerim."

"I'm Haechan."

"I know, I know. You're one of the school biggest accounts. Oh wait, but you are also Mark's friend!"

"You know him?"

"We are classmates."

"Wait, how do you know we are friends? Does he talk about me??"

Yerim shrugged her shoulders. "Sometimes."

"What does he say about me?"

"Uuh, why should I tell you?" She smiled.

"Because I need to know."

"Ask him."

"W-what? No!"

"Why are you acting like this? I bet you like him!"

Donghyuck blushed. "That's not it! It's just that... Uhm..." He didn't finish the sentence, not knowing what to say.

The girl winked at him. "I'll cheer for you, okay?"

"I said that's not it!"

"Sure."

When the others finally opened the closet door, Donghyuck noticed Mark -who was now standing next to the closet with Chenle, Renjun and Jisung- staring at him and held back a grin. He liked the idea of Mark thinking that he had just made out with Yerim.

When Hyuck went back to sit in the circle Renjun approached him, tapping on his shoulder.

"Donghyuck?"

"Uh?"

"What the hell are you doing here... Join us instead, please."

Hyuck thought for some moments, then he stood up and followed his friend back to the others.

"Did you make out with that girl??" Asked Chenle.

"Mh, yeah." Replied Hyuck, shrugging his shoulders.

Renjun gave him a weird look. "Since when do you like girls?"

"Uhm, since now, I guess. It was really good."

Renjun was about to protest that it's not how things usually work, but Chenle spoke first.

"Oh my God, give us the details!" Exclaimed the house owner, looking excited.

"Chenle!" Shouted Jisung, widening his eyes. "Don't be inopportune."

"I just want to know how it feels..."

"I don't." Said Mark, sounding quite annoyed. "I'd rather drink something, see you later maybe." And so he left, heading to the big table.

"Hyuck, you didn't kiss anyone. You just wanted to see Mark being jealous, didn't you?" Asked Renjun.

"Really??" Screamed Chenle. "Oh my God, I'm loving all of this!"

Donghyuck pouted. "Uhm, maybe? But it doesn't feel as good as I thought. I feel kinda bad."

"Love is complicated." Stated Chenle, giving him a pat on the shoulder.

"What do you even know?" Asked Jisung.

"You're too young to understand..."

"I'm literally less than 3 months younger."

"But these 3 months make a big difference!"

"No, they don't!"

"You are both still kids." Donghyuck cut them short.

"What??" Chenle seemed genuinely hurt.

"Actually, we all are. It's not like I'm more mature... Oh, where is Jeno? I just wan to go home now."

Chenle stayed quiet for some moments thinking wether to actually agree with Donghyuck or not about them being still kids, but then he decided to focus on the second half of what he had said and so he answered: "The backyard."

"What??"

"I bet he is with Jaemin." Said Renjun.

"Yes. The backyard was closed because my mom doesn't want people to ruin her flowers, but Jaemin asked the permission to stay there with Jeno, so I gave him the key of the backdoor. Knock it if you need them." Explained Chenle.

"No, nooo!" Hyuck started faking a cry. "I'm ruined. Jeno will kill me if I go to him now... But I really want to go home!"

"Karaoke?" Asked Chenle all of sudden.

"What??" Asked the others.

"You can’t go home now, so the karaoke it's a good way to cheer up and spend time!"

"Uhm, why not... I'll let those people enjoy my beautiful voice live for free just for tonight." Assented Donghyuck, starting to feel a little better already.

Chenle smiled, then he inhaled deeply and screamed: "Who wants to do karaoke??" Some hands raised in the room.

"Nice, nice. I'll start, then it's Donghyuck turn and you all can join."

✿

In the backyard, Jeno and Jaemin were lying on the grass and stargazing, of course paying attention to stay away from the precious flowers. Between them there was a plate full of small pizzas, chips and two hot dogs, since they had been smart enough to stop at the buffet before going outside.

"I'm sorry I'm not that good when it comes to social interactions..." Muttered Jeno, munching on some chips.

"It's fine, Jeno."

"You didn't have to ditch everyone just because I wasn't feeling at ease..."

"Oh, but I really wanted to run away too."

"What? But you were having fun with them. You are so good at making friends."

"I try my best, but it's so energy-draining. I can't handle it for a long time, and I really needed some fresh air."

"Is it true?"

Jaemin nodded. "I love meeting other people, but I also need to spend time alone to recharge my batteries. I'm actually an introvert too."

"But you're not alone, right now... Should I leave?"

"No. I'm not alone but I'm with the only person with whom I can enjoy silence. I don't feel obligated to smile all the time or fill every small silence when I'm with you." 

"Uhm... It is positive, I guess?"

Jaemin closed his eyes and smiled. "It is. It means you're special."

Jeno blushed but he didn't say anything, taking another chip from the plate and looking at Jaemin who was still resting his eyes. He was so pretty that the idea of kissing him crossed Jeno's mind for a second, but he shut his eyes tight and shook his head fastly to get rid of it. He tried to simply get a little closer to Jaemin to look at him better, but his body just couldn't move. He was like frozen, staring at Jaemin who seemed so close and yet still so far. Maybe he was starting to feel comfortable with Jaemin again, it was true, but he still felt the need to be very careful to avoid getting hurt again, and that meant he was still not trusting him 100 percent.

✿

If the first times they had lunch all together it was Jeno and Jaemin who killed the nice atmosphere with their awkward silence, now it was Mark and Donghyuck. After the party they didn't speak to each other at all for some days, until Hyuck was forced by circumstances. He waited for Mark at the end of classes, and asked him to record the final version of the song for the contest. "I know you have your things to do and I have mines and we haven't talked much lately but... Please. Tomorrow is the last day to present the song and you know I really care for that contest... Please, come to me tonight."

Marked looked at him. "You already have a good recording from last time, you could use that..."

"There is a background noise at 01:24 and it really upsets me. Please, Mark. I beg you and you know I don't usually beg people..."

"Okay, okay. I also want to talk with you but now I need to go home and study, so see you later."

Some hours later, they recorded the final version of the song. Luckily, Donghyuck found totally perfect the third attempt, so they didn't waste the whole evening.

"Oh God, I can't believe we did it! It's perfect! I'm sooooo happy!"

Mark couldn't help but smiling seeing how happy his friend was, but then he became thoughtful again. After some minutes in which Donghyuck was using his laptop to submit his recording, he told him: "Hey... Remember that I wanted to talk?"

Hyuck gulped. "Uhm, yes."

"Well... First of all, I'm sorry if I ignored you while talking with Lucas, it was not my intention."

The younger boy pretended to be surprised. "Oh, did you? I didn't even notice... I was just there because you two were standing in front of the table with my favourite snacks, and I was waiting for you to move so I can grab them."

Mark frowned. "What?? Was it about snacks? I thought you were mad at me for not paying enough attention to you..."

"Who cares if you talk to me or not, you're not that relevant."

"I am not?" Mark felt terribly hurt by that words. "Thank you, Donghyuck. It's nice to know that no matter how much I do for you I'll still be irrelevant to your eyes. Very nice, really. At least I will finally stop wasting so many energies on you now that I know it. I hope you will find a new guitarist for next times because I quit." He stood up and muttered: "I can't believe I was thinking to throw away the resolutions of a lifetime for someone who keeps considering me irrelevant..."

Donghyuck's jaw dropped at that reaction. "W-wait! Wait, Mark!" He exclaimed, hands shaking and eyes becoming teary against his will. "Fuck, I'm sorry, that's not what I meant! Don't leave me..."

Mark sat down again. "What did you mean then?"

"I was just being mean without a reason. I swear it was not my intention to hurt you." He made a small pause. "Mark... What were you saying about throwing away the resolutions of a lifetime?"

Mark froze for a second. "I... It doesn't matter, I was just rambling."

"Please, tell me."

"It's not important, really."

"Mark..."

The boy sighed, then made an awkward attempt to smile. "Fine. I'll tell you, not that it will change anything. I, yeah, I... After you told me my soulmate could not be a girl I kept thinking about it and for a moment I even wondered how it would be if it was you but... But of course I was just being stupid, hahaha… Of course that's not possible and I tried to get it out of my mind. But at the party... You making out with Yerim... I felt so jealous... And I felt so mad at myself because I had the feeling it was my fault, that you decided to play Spin The Bottle out of spite since I had ignored you right before... But once again I was being a fool. You didn't care about it, you didn't care about me. You just wanted some... snacks. Haha, I can't believe I've been such a fool! Donghyuck, I..." Mark took a deep breath, not trying anymore to conceal his sadness. "It doesn't matter anymore, but I wanted to talk to you today because I wanted to ask you if I should renounce to the idea of waiting for my soulmate, since there is someone I'm really interested in right now..."

"And that someone... is me?"

"Yeah..."

"Mark, I-"

"No, it's okay, really. I understand you don't feel the same way, I was really being dumb but now I see how things are. And I'm not blaming you for not liking me, okay? I didn't help you because I was expecting you to catch feelings for me or anything, but at least a bit of gratitude?? That's all I was asking for, and I didn't even get that. But I had promised you I wouldn't have left you and I keep my promises, so I'll still be your friend, if you ever actually considered me one of them since I'm not relevant. But I need to distance a little bit and take some time, I hope you will understand it. That's why you need a new guitarist."

"Dumb, you're just dumb!" Sobbed Donghyuck, wiping a falling tear with his sleeve. "You are extremely relevant! Of course I went to play because I felt ignored by you, it's not about snacks! I wanted to make you jealous! I don't even know what there was on that table... And nothing happened with Yerim, we didn't kiss. I don't like girls, remember?"

"But you said..."

"Come on, I say a lot of bullshits! You should know it by now."

"If you wanted to make me feel jealous does it mean that you have feelings for me too?"

"U-uhm..."

"Is it a yes?"

"M-maybe."

"Donghyuck, please. It cannot be a maybe, just yes or no. If I renounce to wait for my soulmate, I need to know you really likes me back."

"Uhm, about that... There is something you need to see..." And so Hyuck pinched his inner thigh right under Mark's eyes.

"What??" Yelled the other, suddenly feeling the pain.

"Those random pains you couldn't explain... It was me all the time. I used to pinch myself everytime I was mad at you, since I knew you would have felt that..."

"S-so it's you... My soulmate."

Donghyuck nodded.

"Oh, my... Oh, dear. I can't believe it!"

"I know! Life is weird."

"In a positive or negative way?"

"Both? I mean... I don't know?"

Mark sighed. "I see."

"No wait, I mean. The first time I saw you I didn't like you and I thought that you being my soulmate must have been a joke, but little did I know that I would have slowly fallen for you. In that sense it's weird. You're just... Different from how I had always imagined my soulmate. But I guess that's what makes you special..."

"You're different from how I had always imagined my soulmate too, Hyuck. But right now I can't get you off my mind, and it had never happened to me to feel so much interested in someone."

"I can't blame you, I'm the prettiest guy you will ever meet." Said Donghyuck trying to joke as always, but not looking at Mark because he was feeling a bit nervous.

"You are. But there is something more, that is difficult to explain."

Hyuck blushed heavily. "I- I was joking!"

"I wasn't. I'm really into you."

"Oh my God, Mark! This is so embarrassing! Me too, okay? But stop with cheesy words now, please!"

"Alright, no more words." Mark leaned towards him until their lips were just a few centimetres apart, then he whispered: "Can I?"

Hyuck, who was already closing his eyes, widened them and tilted his head back to put some distance between Mark and himself. "Oh my God, Mark Lee! You could have just done it! Who on Earth asks for permission to kiss their soulmate??"

"Uhm... Someone polite, maybe? You know, consent is important."

"But you killed the atmosphere! See?? You are such a-"

"Donghyuck."

"Yes?"

"Stop it already."

And so Mark leaned closer to him again and kissed him very gently, lips touching but very lightly and softly, and his hands kindly stroking Donghyuck's hair. His mind was such in a confusion that he couldn't even tell if it was a long or a short kiss, but maybe it was actually just midway.

When he looked at Hyuck right after, he noticed that his face was almost as red as his hair.

"U-uhm, so... I'm sorry, I think I'm not that good, but this was my first kiss." Muttered Mark right before bursting in one of his nervous laughters, his heart beating way too fast.

"M-mine too, dumbass!" Exclaimed Donghyuck, avoiding Mark's gaze. He was glad to be already sitting because it had made him feel his knees weak. It had been absolutely perfect but admitting it would have been too much out of character for him, while trying to deny it would have meant to hurt Mark's feelings again, and so he tried to find a compromise and he said: "Uhm... It was not so bad, I guess. Not sure, tho. M-maybe I need more evidences. Just to be able to judge, you know!"

Mark giggled a little, his cheeks reddening too. "Of course! Just to judge."

So he kissed him again, but he was feeling so happy and thrilled that he couldn't help but softly chuckle against Hyuck's mouth in the meanwhile. This completely melted Donghyuck's heart, so he stopped being so hesitant and decided to hug Mark, finally starting to kiss him back properly.

✿

The following morning, Hyuck skipped the first hour and so -aside from Renjun since they were classmates- he only met Jeno and the others at lunch. He had sent a message to Jeno the previous night saying ‘Mark and I are a couple I guess’ and had turned off his phone right after since he was still overwhelmed.

He had just sat with Jeno, Renjun and Jaemin commenting how the lunch that day didn't look very tasty but, when Mark joined them some moments later, the others started whistling and making noise.

"Congratulations!!" Exclaimed Jaemin.

"Finally! I thought you two would have kept struggling forever." Said Renjun.

Mark laughed with embarrassment while muttering a "Thank you, guys.", while Donghyuck covered his face with a napkin. "I hate you all!"

They all bursted into a laughter, then Renjun said to Jeno: "Wait, you don't use Instagram, right?"

Jeno nodded. "Right."

"Then you missed Donghyuck being cheesy! You should absolutely see it! Not only he has finally followed Mark back, but look at this!" And he gave his phone to Jeno. The last picture posted by Haechan's account was a picture with a black and white filter of two hands holding, clearly his and Mark's, and the caption said: «Soulmates».

Jeno giggled. "Hyuck is a big softie, he just hides it."

"Hey, hey, hey! No, wait!" Yelled Donghyuck. "You all are getting me wrong! I wasn't trying to be romantic, okay? I just wanted to flex on those people desperately looking for their soulmate. And also on those who anonymously told me that nobody would have wanted me because I'm too rude. Remember, Jeno? I read those messages to you, back then!"

"But it was quite romantic, Hyuck..." Stated Mark.

"U-uhm, okay then. If you really want to think it's romantic, just know it's the first and last time I'll do something like that!"

Jaemin laughed. "Mark, you have all my support, it must be extremely difficult to deal with someone like him."

"What do you mean??" Asked Hyuck, then he turned to Mark: "Tell him he is wrong!"

"Weeell..." Replied Mark, with a snigger.

"Mark Lee!"

"I was just teasing you. Maybe."

"I hate you. I hate all of you."

"That's not what you said yesterday."

"Spill!" Exclaimed Renjun. "I want his exact words so that I can make fun of him for the rest of his life."

"He said that-"

"Complete the sentence and you're a dead man!!" Shouted Hyuck, almost fuming.

"Don't worry, I won't. I was kidding."

Jaemin kept laughing and turned to Jeno: "This is funny, isn't it?"

Jeno smiled, his eyes forming crescent moons. "They are cute. I'm so happy for Hyuck."

✿

A couple of days later, on a free afternoon, Jaemin texted Jeno to meet at the park in an hour and refused to give any further explanation.

The first one to reach the park was actually Jeno and, when Jaemin arrived, he saw him sitting on a bench backrest while playing on his phone, his shoes where people usually sit. He smiled sadly, it was one of Jeno's weird but cute habits.

"Hello Jeno. Sorry, I'm late..."

"Oh? You're not late, it's just that I got here early." Replied the other, putting his phone away.

Jaemin sat on the bench and Jeno got off the backrest to sit next to him.

"I think I know why we are here."

Jaemin gulped. "Do you?"

"The month we had to try to make things work ended yesterday."

"So, you knew... And you did nothing. I... I think we are kinda close now, but I also guess you don't feel like... Uhm, making a further step? So..." He sighed.

"Jaemin, this one month free trial thing was quite stupid from the start."

That sentence felt like a blow to the heart for Jaemin. He stayed quiet for a while, then he said: "I... I had to make a try. I'm sorry if I made you waste time with me. But at least for me it has not been a waste of time, since I got to be your friend again."

Jeno widened his eyes, understanding that he could have explained himself better. "Euhm? No, wait! I'm not saying it has been a waste of time. I was saying you can't give ultimatum to feelings and expect things to be fine in time. Even if it's been 30 days already, I don't feel like taking a decision in this very exact moment. My heart says ‘risk it all for Jaemin’, but my brain says ‘you know you can't trust him fully’. I really want a happy ending, I'd just prefer to leave things how they are for a little more, if you are okay with it."

"Wait, so you are asking for more time? I... I thought that you didn't do anything yesterday because your final answer was a no..."

"Jaemin, I didn't even know it was the last day, I realized it today. I'm sorry. And yes, I'd like to wait a bit more because if I'm still so insecure I think our relationship wouldn't be very healthy..."

"No, no, it's okay! Oh, God. Can I say I feel relieved? I was so scared... I will wait for you, you can take all the time you need." 

"Thank you."

There was a short silence, then Jaemin asked: "Jeno... Do you find me pretty?"

Jeno frowned. "What?"

"Just wondering..."

"I do. Actually, you're more than pretty. I've never seen someone so beautiful."

The other chuckled. "Don't make me blush."

Another silence followed, then Jaemin asked a new question: "Are you catching feelings for me again? I mean... Since you didn't say no..."

Jeno thought for some moments. "I... Uhm, I actually never stopped having feelings for you, the problem is which kind of feelings. As I told you, when you came back I felt really sad and anxious... It wouldn't have happened if I didn't care about you anymore."

"Are you still sad?"

"No, but I'm still a little anxious."

"I hope you will be at ease with me soon. I want to make you happy for the rest of your life."

"The... Rest of my life?"

Jaemin smiled. "Of course, until the very last day. You won't get rid of me this time Jeno, so think carefully. If you say yes to me you will have to wake up next to me for many many years, to see me every morning with pajama and messy hair and dark circles, you will have to deal with my clumsy ass, to listen to all my weirdest ideas and to hug me everytime I feel sad. Buuut... Keep also in mind that I can cook very well, I know all your favourite dishes and I could make you happy in many many ways."

Jeno's face had become completely red thinking about the actual possibility of a life with Jaemin. "Jaemin, I-"

The other stood up and patted Jeno's head, still smiling. "Think about it, Jeno. See you at school!"

Jeno just watched him going away, his head full of thoughts. He had never allowed himself to think about how spending his life with Jaemin could be. Maybe he had sometimes dreamt of it in a very vague way when he was a child, but ever since Jaemin left the town Jeno had convinced himself he would have spent all of his days alone. Even now, with the possibility of finally starting a relationship with his soulmate, he had never thought about the future, still too scared to end up heartbroken again.

After a while, he stood up and walked back home, the idea of a sleepy Jaemin with a cute pajama and messy hair haunting him until very late that night.

✿

Jeno and Jaemin kept texting each other and they also went out for biking one of the following days, but they never brought up that topic again.

One day, at lunch, Jaemin was checking the news on his phone when he read something interesting. "Hey, Jeno! Did you watch Guardians of the Galaxy?"

"Yes, why?"

"The Vol. 2 will be released next Wednesday! Do you want to watch it with me?"

Jeni thought for a moment. "Uhm, sure. Hyuck are you-"

"I'm not coming." Replied Donghyuck, turning to him.

"But why? We watched the first part together!"

"I know but go with Jaemin, I'll go with Mark."

Mark, who was talking to Renjun, looked at Hyuck with a frown. "Where?"

"To the cinema, next Saturday."

"Hyuck, I already told you I have a very important incoming test and next Wednesday I'll be studying all day..."

"Fine, fine. I'll go with Renjun, then."

"What?? I'm not a replacement! And I have already been invited by Chenle and Jisung."

"And where is the problem? I'll join you. I'm sure Chenle will be okay with it."

"Did you say my name?" Asked Chenle, startling him. Donghyuck turned to see the boy standing right behind him.

"What the... Why are you behind me?"

"I'm here to congratulate you."

"Uh? For what?"

"The vocalist contest? You won? It's you Lee Donghyuck, right?"

"Oh my God!!" Screamed Hyuck. "Are you serious?? Results are out already??"

"Check." Chenle handed him his phone, showing him the page of the announcement.

"Mark, I won!!" He exclaimed, placing his hands on the other's shoulders and shaking him. "I won! We won!"

"Congrats, Hyuck! Wait, we? Did you give me credits for the guitar?"

"No, I didn't."

"Uhm... I had guessed so. We were also kinda mad at each other when you submitted the song so, uhm, I understand."

"Of course I did, dumbass! Your name is there."

Mark laughed incredulously. "Cool!"

"Congratulations, Hyuck." Said Jeno. "I knew the prize was yours."

"Thank you, Jen! I'm sure this will be a big help to get accepted into the musical college!"

"Oh, are you applying too? I will go there after high school, since I play the piano." Said Chenle. "But wait, you're not part of a music club, right?"

"I'm not, why?"

"Well, one of the college requirements is to have been part of the music club in high school for at least two semesters. I mean, your next year will be the last one, so shouldn't you start now to be sure you won't have to quit before completing the 12 months to focus on the exams?"

"What?? I didn't know! But the school doesn't have any music club! There was a band last year, but they were all third year students and the club closed with their graduation..."

"Uhm, open a new one then."

"Me? Nobody would join my club, almost everyone on this school hates me, and those who don’t hate me find me too intimidating."

"I will. I was going to worry about it next year, but it would be nice to join yours."

"Uhm... To open a club I'll have to discuss it with the director..."

"Oh, your best friend." Commented Renjun with a grin.

Donghyuck gulped. "It won't be easy, I think."

✿

Two days later, Donghyuck gathered all of his friends to announce he was about to open the music club.

"I'm the first memeber! The vice president!" Exclaimed Chenle.

"Yes, you are." Confirmed Donghyuck. "And you all are the other members."

"Wait, what??" It was the general reaction.

"Okay guys, listen. The director said the club needs at least six members outside of me or he won't recognise it as a real club and it won't be counted by the college..."

"Hyuck, why do you always have to put me in a complicated position? You know it's my last year and I won't be able to play around too much, especially in the next semester..." Sighed Mark.

"It doesn't matter! Just sign up as one of the members, it's okay if you can't join everytime, nobody will know it. You cannot ditch me like this..."

"Fine…"

"Guys, please. I need all of you."

"Count Jisung in." Said Chenle.

"Really?" Asked Jisung, who was there just for him and didn't have any idea of what was going on.

"Nice! Welcome to the club, Jisung!" Exclaimed Donghyuck, patting the boy's shoulder.

"But I-" tried to protest Jisung, but Hyuck was already turning to Jeno and so he renounced.

"I don't even try to say no to you because I already know I'll still end up being in this club, so count me in too." Sighed Jeno.

"I'll join if you schedule the meetings so that those days I don't have the football training. Jisung would have the same problem otherwise." Said Jaemin.

"Sure, just give me your calendar!" Exclaimed Hyuck, then he looked at Renjun.

"I knew I should have stayed at home today..." Muttered Renjun. "I hope we will do something funny during the meetings, at least!"

"Yes, all the funny things you want! And so, with Renjun we are complete! Thank you, just sign your names here so I can give this to the director!" And so Hyuck handed a subscription list to the others.

✿

When the awaited Wednesday of the movie came, after classes Jaemin asked Jeno if they wanted to watch the movie at 8pm or 10pm.

"The others and I will watch it at 8pm." Said Donghyuck, who was waiting for Jeno to go home together. "Choose another hour, thank you."

"Uhm, 10pm then?" Asked Jaemin.

"What about 6pm?" Proposed Jeno.

"Whaaat? You are not 10! You will be surrounded by children." Exclaimed Hyuck.

"6pm is perfect." Replied Jaemin with a smile.

"Guys, are you serious?? Wait..." Hyuck chuckled. "Got it. You're not 10, you're 12."

Jaemin's heart skipped a beat. "Hyuck?? No, I don't think so! I mean, uhm, Jeno proposed 6pm because tomorrow we have school and we shouldn't sleep too late... Right?"

Jeno nodded. "See you later." 

✿

So many memories hit Jaemin in the moment they entered the cinema, since the last time he had been there it was five years before. Jeno too was feeling quite overwhelmed, but none of them said anything about it.

"Can we buy XL popcorns to share?" Asked Jaemin.

Jeno nodded, and so they bought them.

"It's nice that we are still both into superheroes." Commented Jaemin when the movie was starting, but in half an hour he was yawning already.

"Are you bored?" Asked Jeno, worried.

"Uhm, no, no. I'm just a little tired, sorry."

"You can... Uhm... Rest your head on my shoulder, if you want? I mean, uhm, I asked it since the seat may be too uncomfortable to rest..." If the volume of the movie hadn't been that loud, Jeno would have been scared that everyone could hear is heartbeat.

Jaemin smiled softly, laying his head on the other's shoulder. "Thank you."

When the movie ended, Jaemin seemed excited again.

"I enjoyed it!" He exclaimed.

"Me too." Replied Jeno.

"Let's have dinner now!"

"Where do you want to eat?"

"Uhm, McDonald's?" Asked Jaemin with puppy eyes.

Jeno nodded with a smile. "Predictable."

While biting into his cheeseburger, Jeno saw Jaemin taking a picture of him and raised a brow. "Jaemin, really? Again?"

"Yes." Replied the other with a shy smile. After all, this time he hadn't even tried to not get noticed, it didn't matter anymore. "To make a comparison. I still have the old one, you know?"

"Really??"

Jaemin nodded. "You know I decided to break my phone, right? But I had printed it before..."

There was a short silence, Jeno low-key panicking and not knowing what to say and Jaemin thinking how to put it into words, then the latter continued: "I wanted to forget you, but at the same time I didn't. That was the only picture I decided to keep, just to remember you once I had become an adult, I guess... Silly, right?" He laughed but Jeno could tell he was not happy at all, and so he felt a little sad as well. "Jaemin, this is so sweet... I don't know what to say."

"Yes, yes, don't say anything then. It was just a random story."

"Thank you for sharing it with me, I'm really grateful."

"Aah, just finish eating. This smell of fried food is poisoning me, isn't it stronger than usual? I want to get out of here."

Jeno nodded and tried to eat faster.

✿

Once they exited the McDonald's, Jaemin asked: "Should we go home?"

"Uhm, I thought you would have wanted to stay outside a little more."

"Do you want it?"

"I'd love it."

"I'd love it too, then."

They walked around side to side for a little talking about the movie, then Jeno decided to let his hand slide into Jaemin's, the latter opening his fingers to intertwine them.

The didn't say anything but Jaemin smiled, feeling the warmth of Jeno's hand against his cold one reaching is heart. He couldn't tell for how long they had been strolling around the city or where they were actually going, until Jeno stopped and he realized he was in front of his own house.

"Is it time to go home already?" He asked.

"We have school tomorrow." Replied Jeno.

"Right."

"So, goodnight?"

"Wait!" Exclaimed Jaemin, louder than he had intended to.

"Yes?" Asked Jeno, tilting his head to the side with curiosity.

"The... Kiss..." Muttered the other, staring at Jeno with a pout and clenching his fists to prevent his hands from shaking.

"The kiss?"

"Yes! Wait, no! Like, not a _kiss_ kiss! I... I meant on the cheek, o-of course! Well, unless you want to... Uhm, no, nothing! Forget it!" Jaemin was now straight up panicking, so he stopped and forced himself to take a deep breath. "Sorry, uhm, it… It's just that... I thought we were recreating the date of five years ago and uhm, maybe you don't remember but before we parted you kissed me... O-on the cheek... Kinda. That's why I asked..."

Jeno frowned. "Of course I remember it, Jaemin. How could you think the opposite? And, uhm... It was not on the check to be precise, it was at the corner of your lips."

"U-uhm, so you remember it. I thought you wanted to recreate it too but yeah maybe I'm just tired and I should sleep, we have school tomorrow after all. I'm sorry, I'm really sorry. I fucked up again, didn't I? We were having a nice evening and I had to ask for a kiss, oh my God, why am I so stupid?? If I were you I wouldn't even speak to me again, I know I must sound very annoying! It's obvious that you are not ready and you know what? I should stop being so dumb and pressuring you!" Jaemin was rambling and he looked very agitated, staring at the floor to not face his soulmate.

Jeno used his thumb and index finger to gently lift the boy's chin and looked into his eyes. "Jaemin, breathe. It's fine, I was already planning to do it. I'm ready."

Jaemin widened his eyes. "Really??"

"Yes."

Jeno, who was still delicately holding Jaemin's chin, slowly filled the space between the two of them until his lips met Jaemin's, and time seemed to stop. Jaemin's lips were quite chapped but they still felt incredibly soft and Jeno thought he could actually get addicted to them, but he decided it was better to check Jaemin's reaction. When he tried to pull away he didn't manage to put more than 10 or 15 centimetres between himself and the other, since Jaemin stopped him putting an hand on the back of Jeno's head and looking at him with big doe eyes.

Jeno smiled shyly and nodded, moving closer to kiss him again. This time he put his hands on Jaemin's hips, gently pulling him closer to get rid of even the smallest space between them until they were glued one to another, and Jaemin wrapped his arms around Jeno's neck. Thrilled by the moment he had been dreaming for so many years, with his heart that feelt about to explode and his mind into total confusion, Jaemin parted his lips to make room for Jeno to dive in for a more intimate kiss. Although it was Jeno's first kiss he wasn't as clumsy as he had imagined to be and, when Jaemin tried to pull away for a moment, he claimed the boy's mouth again, not wanting to stop anymore. He had been waiting for too long, they had both been waiting for too long, and he couldn't see any possible reason to stop so soon.

"Jeno!" Exclaimed Jaemin when he was finally able to catch his breath, giggling. "Let me just breathe for a moment, I'm not running away!"

"Promise me?" Asked the other, looking at him with a very serious expression. "Do you promise me you will still be here tomorrow?"

"Jeno... I promise you. I'm not going anywhere in the future, not without you. I have lost you once, but I can assure you I won't commit the same error again."

"I love you."

Jaemin's eyes widened and his heart pounded very loudly into his chest. "A-are you sure?"

"I'm sure." Confirmed Jeno. "I love you."

"I love you too!" Jaemin cupped Jeno's face into his hands and kissed him again, chuckling. "I can't believe this is happening for real!"

"I can't believe it either." Replied the other, smiling until his eyes formed once again that cute crescent moon shape that Jaemin had always adored. "Stay by my side from now on, please." He added, his heartbeat out of control.

"As if I were your boyfriend?" Asked Jaemin.

"That's what I want you to be."

"Can I hear you saying it?"

"Would you like to be my boyfriend?"

"Yes!" Jaemin jumped on the spot in excitement and made Jeno laugh heartily, then he hugged him very tightly while closing his eyes. "Thank you for the second chance, Jeno. I promise I'll take care of you."

"I'll take care of you as well, Jaemin, but now we really need to go home."

"But I wanted to stay with you a little more!" Protested the other with an angry pout.

Jeno shook his head, giggling. "You were right about it, you're really the same child I used to know."

"But less dumb!"

"And more handsome."

Jeno gave him some quick pecks on the lips before they finally decided to say goodbye for real, and he waited for Jaemin to enter the front door before walking back home. It was quite late but, if he had to say the truth, he wasn't feeling sleepy at all.

✿

The following morning, Jeno was about to reach the school with Donghyuck and Rejun as always.

"Damn, I'm so sleepy..." Yawned Donghyuck.

"Of course you are! You waited for me to come back home last night!" Exclaimed Jeno.

"How could I not? I needed the tea about you and Jaemin! I knew something would have happened!"

"Then don't complain!" Exclaimed Renjun. "Anyway. Jeno, you already know what I think about soulmates, but I think that maybe you and Jaemin were really meant to be together. It's quite impressive."

Jeno chucked. "Thank you."

When they reached the school gate, they saw Jaemin leaning against the fence.

"Hi, guys!" He exclaimed, waving at them.

It was something unusual since Jaemin was the kind of guy who was always late, always running to enter the school gate at the very last moment before its closing time.

"Hi, Jaemin! You woke up early today." Said Jeno, smiling at him.

"I came earlier because I was missing you..." Replied the other, pouting.

"I was missing you too."

Donghyuck made the gesture of putting two fingers into his mouth with a disgusted face. "Eww! I'm about to throw up my breakfast!"

"Do you want to enter the school holding hands?" Asked Jaemin to Jeno, ignoring him.

"People will talk." Pointed out Jeno.

"Do you care?"

"No."

And so they held their hands.

"Do you know these two?" Asked Renjun to Donghyuck.

"No, never seen them before." Replied the other.

"Oh, come on!" Exclaimed Jaemin. "You know how difficult it has been for us to get together, don't judge us."

"We know, but we are still judging." Replied Donghyuck. "If I should ever start acting like this with Mark, please shoot me."

Renjun nodded. "I will, trust me."

Jeno shook his head with a smile, knowing that Donghyuck was actually very cheesy. Just not in public.

✿

"This stupid window is broken, there is nothing we can do about it! We can't use this room!" Yelled Donghyuck, about to have a breakdown.

"It's the only one still free, Hyuck." Replied Mark, calmly. They had already tried to ask for another classroom to use for the music club, but this very small room was the only place available.

"And I know why it's free! It's small and covered in dust and this fucking window! It's so windy today, we can't leave it open! This club is destined to fail!"

"I'm trying to close it, okay?" Mark was pushing very hard the blocked side of the window, that was stuck into the groove it had created by itself into the marble of the internal sill because of its weight, since the upper part was partially broken.

A sudden gast of wind stronger that the other ones made all the sheets of paper Donghyuck had put on the table at the centre of the room fly away.

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" Exclaimed Hyuck, his eyes getting teary because of the stress while sitting on one of the chairs and hiding his face in his hands; then a loud noise startled him.

"Closed!" Exclaimed Mark panting, some sweat drops were dripping off his forehead. "It's so hard to move it that I really doubt it will open again. And now..." he bent down and started to recollect all of the papers.

Donghyuck watched the scene without saying anything, but he was no longer about to cry.

"Done, Hyuck." All the sheets were now back at their place. "Anything else?"

"Uhm... The lightning... It doesn't work."

"It's a sunny day, we don't need it now. We will ask the custodian to change the bulb, okay?"

Donghyuck nodded. "I'm sorry for being so naggy. I'm so nervous... I really want this club to work, I don't want the guys to leave it after one day..."

Mark reached the place where he was sitting and hugged him, Hyuck burying his face into the other boy's stomach and holding him tightly. "Thank you, Mark. I felt so discouraged and I would be crying in panic without you."

Mark patted his head softly. "It's okay, I'm here for you. I know how important this club is for your future."

Hyuck broke the hug and looked into Mark's eyes with a pout. "Kiss."

Mark smiled, then he leaned down and kissed him, but someone's cough interrupted them.

"Should we come back later?" Chenle had just entered the room but he had stopped at the threshold with a chuckle, and his friend Jisung was behind him with an embarrassed expression.

"It's not like that!" Exclaimed Hyuck, blushing heavily. "I had something in my eye and..."

Chenle laughed. "We all know you two are dating, it's not a secret."

"Uhm... I know, it's not like I want to keep it secret, it's just..."

"He is allergic to public displays of affection." Explained Mark, smiling. "Oh, no, Hyuck. You are getting blisters on your face already! Take the antidote, quick!"

"Shut up." Hummed Donghyuck, upset.

"See, guys? This is the antidote, being rude."

Chenle couldn't stop laughing, while Jisung looked confused.

"Are you guys fine?" Asked the younger boy.

"They are, but you don't understand." Replied Chenle. "Anyway it's 4pm, why are the others late for our first meeting?"

"Right!" Exclaimed Hyuck. "Where are they?"

They all sat at the table waiting for the others, and in a couple of minutes Renjun joined them. "Hello, guys. Have you started already?"

Hyuck shook his head. "We are waiting to be complete. Have you seen Jeno and Jaemin?"

"Nope."

"I'll call Jeno, then."

As soon as Donghyuck pressed the call button, they heard classic music coming from the hallway.

"We're here, Hyuck!" Said Jeno, entering the room some moments later.

"Sorry for being late." Apologized Jaemin.

"Your couple hoodies are cute!" Exclaimed Chenle enthusiastically. They were wearing the same hoodie but Jeno's was black and Jaemin's white.

Jaemin chuckled. "Thank you, it was my idea! We area late because the shop was more crowded than expected..." They had just come back from the shop but they had stopped at the football team changing room to wear the freshly purchased items before joining the others.

"I don't kick you two out of the club just because I am kind!" Exclaimed Donghyuck.

"No, actually you don't kick us out because you need seven members." Replied Jeno. "Anyway we won't be late again, don't worry!"

"What are these papers for?" Asked Jisung.

"Good question! Write down your talents related to music." Replied Donghyuck.

"What??" Asked Renjun. "I thought this was like a club to meet and spend time disguised as a music club!"

"Uuuh... I know, but... At the end of the next semester there is a school bands competition and..."

"I can play the piano and sing! Maybe rap too!" Exclaimed Chenle. "And Jisung can dance and his voice is soft."

"You can dance?" Asked Donghyuck to Jisung.

"Uhm, yes, well... I guess I can dance..." Replied the other, shyly.

"Show us!"

"Should I..."

"Show them that cool thing you can do!" Proposed Chenle.

"Popping?"

"Yes!"

So Jisung stood up and danced a small piece of a hip-hop song, popping at the end of it.

Donghyuck clapped. "Amazing!! I was not planning to dance but I guess we can dance too, we can be like... School idols?"

"You have watched too much anime..." Commented Renjun with a facepalm.

"I think it's a cool idea." Said Jaemin.

"We have nothing to lose, I guess." Agreed Mark. "If we win that's good, if we don't it's not a big deal. I can play the guitar."

"What can I do?" Asked Jeno.

"Guitar too or maybe rap? I think you can do both, we will see." Replied Hyuck.

"Well, my teacher in China always said I have a very soothing voice, so I guess I can sing in this... Band." Admitted Renjun.

Donghyuck sent him a flying kiss. "I knew you wouldn't have abandoned me! So we have a piano, two guitars, many voices... I don't know if we should record the music and dance all together or someone can dance and someone can play, but we will figure it out later. Jisung, can you teach us a choreography in a semester?"

"Uhm, I think so."

"Perfect! Now we need a name."

"Well, since everything started from your dream to become a singer... What hat about DREAM?" Suggested Mark.

"I like it." Said Jeno.

"Introducing ourselves saying ‘we are the DREAM’ sounds pretty cool!" Exclaimed Jaemin.

"Uhm, yes, it's not bad. So it's fine for everyone?" Asked Hyuck.

Chenle, Jisung and Renjun nodded.

"Perfect! Starting from next week, we will work hard to become the coolest school band ever."

"We can do it!" Exclaimed Mark. "Yo, DREAM!"

✿

"Oh my God, it's really been a whole year since Iast time I've walked throughout this hallway!" Exclaimed Donghyuck, his laughter resonating through the school hallway.

"Time flies..." Commented Jeno.

"This is not the time to be nostalgic, honey! Today is Chenle and Jisung's graduation day, so smile!" Exclaimed Jaemin.

Jeno nodded and smiled. "I was just thinking about all the memories."

It was difficult for him to believe that had already been a university student for a year now.

"Mark is not coming?" Asked Jaemin.

"Of course he is!" Replied Donghyuck. He had an exam this morning, but he said he would have rushed here as soon as possible."

They guys stopped since they had finally reached the main all.

"Hello, guys!" Chenle waved at them. He was wearing his graduation gown and hat like Jisung and they were talking to Renjun who had reached them sooner.

"Congratulations, guys!" Exclaimed Donghyuck, Jaemin and Jeno in unison.

"Thank you!" Replied Chenle and Jisung.

"Oh, the director!" Said Donghyuck, noticing him talking to a group of people. "My bestie, I kinda missed him. Should I go and kiss him?"

"You are always the same fool." Commented Renjun shaking his head in disapproval, but he was actually laughing.

They talked for a while and drank some champagne to celebrate -Jaemin and Jisung weren't actually into alcohol but you really can't say no to a small sip of champagne during a graduation-, then Mark finally reached them.

"I'm sorry guys, I know I'm late, but congratulations!"

"You're not too late!" Exclaimed Chenle.

"Donghyuck warned us you had an exam today." Explained Jisung. "Did it go well?"

"I think so!"

"Well, now that we are all together, we should go to look at the trophy case for the last time!" Exclaimed Donghyuck, and the others agreed.

The two trophies were still there, pretty and shiny. They were two because the school had won the music battle against other schools for two years in a row, the one in which they had created the club and the following one, in which even if Mark wasn't a member anymore due to his graduation, the director had given his permission to let the club survive with just six members. Of course, during this second contest, Mark was in the first row of the audience cheering out loud for the others.

He was still Donghyuck's part-time guitarist and full-time boyfriend, but he was now studying literature at university.

After their graduations, everyone had chosen a different path, but they still managed to stay in touch. Donghyuck had been admitted to the musical college, Renjun was studying painting at the Academy of Fine Arts and Jeno was studying architecture and sharing a small students flat with Jaemin, who was studying medicine in a different department of the same university. Of course it was not the house in which Jeno and Jaemin were planning to live for the rest of their lives, but it could work for now. Moreover, it was just 35 minutes of car away from the district in which they used to live and in which the high school was located, so they regularly met the others without any problem.

They still called their group the DREAM, but they were no longer doing music. They had promised to revive the band once Chenle and Jisung had graduated to perform together at least one last time, but in the meanwhile they just met as friends to chat and play games. We could say they were now seven best friends, since they had learnt to know each other very well and they had shared a lot of happy and sad moments, linked to the school band but also just to their random meetings.

Even if they struggled a little to find a way to fit all seven into the frame, they took a selfie with the two thropies which plaques said ‘DREAM’.

"It's pretty, I'm printing it!" Exclaimed Donghyuck.

"I want a copy." Said Jeno.

"Me too!" Exclaimed Chenle.

"Can I have a copy too?" Asked Jisung.

"Alright, I'll make seven copies, okay?" Replied Hyuck. "So we can all have one."

"I'll miss this school, I'll miss passing by that small room with the blocked window thinking about when we used to gather there, I'll miss looking at this thropies thinking about all the efforts we made to win them..." Muttered Chenle, suddenly getting emotional and shedding a tear.

"Chenle, don't make me cry!" Exclaimed Jisung, even if he was starting to cry already.

The other guys hugged them in a big group hug.

"We don't need all of this to remember our story, we will stay the DREAM no matter what." Promised Donghyuck.

"It may sound really cheesy, but you guys are my home." Confessed Mark.

"Eww, teeth-rottening..." Hummed Rejun, looking away.

"You're crying too." Stated Chenle with a soft chuckle.

Renjun sniffled. "Okay, maybe... Maybe you guys have become my home too..."

"Let's always be each other's home, then." Said Jeno.

"Promised!" Exclaimed all of them.

"Should we make our chant in front of our trophies one last time?" Asked Jisung.

"Yes, let's do it!" Replied Hyuck.

"Yooo, DREAM!" Shouted Mark in a very high-pitched voice.

The others laughed at the funny tone and shouted even louder than him, and in an even higher-pitched voice: "Let's be dope! Fighting!!"

**Author's Note:**

> If you really made it to the end, thank you from the bottom of my heart. If you could leave me a comment I would be very happy to read it, and please feel free to tell me if there is something I can improve for next time!
> 
> If you want to be mutuals on twitter I'm @jenocinnamoroll, I'm a bit shy but I swear I'm friendly! (｡╯︵╰｡)
> 
> (Feel free to skip this small rant, but I felt like sharing it.)  
> This is the first time I write such a long story, my record used to be 1.8K words because I've always been too insecure about my English and I used to check every single word, so it was really difficult for me to write something long. (I also have the attention span of a goldfish and I used to lose my train of thought quite often.)  
> I know other people can write a 100K words ff in a way shorter time, but it took me more than a year to complete this story. I started in October 2019 but I stopped because I thought it was too much for me, but then I took it as a challenge and I started to work on it again, and I think I became more confident during this long process. I don't check every word anymore and I think that writing this story really helped me a lot to gain confidence about my skills both in English and in writing. I know it's not the best story ever, but this is really a big achievement for me and that's why I still wanted to share it!! ｡ﾟ･ (>﹏<) ･ﾟ｡


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